Chelsea are taking on West Ham this evening, and so a perfect choice to talk about their goalkeeper was Rob Green. He played in goal for both teams.
Green defends Sanchez’s “improved” kicking
Robert Sanchez celebrates a goal.
Robert Sanchez celebrates a goal. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Green’s take on Sanchez was that he has improved, and deserved to be the Blues’ number one, despite broader criticism:
“One of the criticisms he has had historically is of his distribution. But he can do it – he’s nice and composed, he can pick a pass. But when the goalkeepers get the ball for Chelsea there’s a murmur [at Stamford Bridge], the desperation is to get the ball forward.
There are just small things for Sanchez, and he’s improved massively in his kicking.”
Green then went on to praise his performance overall as a keeper, saying that “talent wise, he has it all,” and comparing him to David James. They said that it’s his concentration which is an issue, and that apart from that he’s “got it all.”
You can see Green speaking in the clip embedded here:
🗣️ "He's improved massively with his kicking"
🗣️ "Talent-wise he absolutely has it all"
Rob Green discusses Robert Sanchez and the noise surrounding his future at Chelsea 🧤 pic.twitter.com/3slF1mx3Kg
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 22, 2025
Sanchez’s kicking not really the problem
We’d have to dispute some of that. Has his kicking improved? It seems more like he’s just been allowed to play more long balls by Maresca in the last few months, which has played to his strengths. His kicking accuracy isn’t really the things fans have issues with either – it’s when the ball is at his feet and he’s trying to play out from the back.
His risk reward calculations just seem off – perhaps because of instructions he gets from the management. Either way, he still looks nervy under pressure, and that transmits to the defenders and then to the fans. Let’s hope he’s been told to kick long more when under pressure this season.
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