Chelsea have been warned they will not be Premier League title contenders this season if they persist with Robert Sanchez as their first-choice goalkeeper. Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith, speaking to Metro, said the Spaniard has needed upgrading for a while and is a glaring shortfall in the lineup.
Smith's Verdict on Sanchez
Sanchez has never fully convinced since his £25m move from Brighton in 2023, making a number of high-profile errors throughout his three seasons at Stamford Bridge. Smith said: 'He’s needed upgrading for a while, and it’s been a bit of a glaring shortfall in their lineup. They’ve made efforts to strengthen the defence with Maxence Lacroix and a couple of younger defenders he’s brought in as full-backs. But the keeper, if you want to challenge for the title, Sanchez isn’t the man, I don’t think. They’ve spent a lot of money, haven’t they, Chelsea? Whether they’ve got any room to spend some more on a keeper, I don’t know, but Sanchez at the moment seems to be the number one.'
Chelsea, under new manager Xabi Alonso, have had a summer of turnover. Alonso, who replaced the dismal tenth-place finish last season, has received the club’s backing in his first transfer market. Notable signings include Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a record £117million fee, along with Maxence Lacroix, Marco Palestra, Valentin Barco, and Pep Chavarria. The club has also addressed a lack of experience by signing Jordan Henderson from Brentford and Danny Welbeck from Brighton.
Title Race Predictions
With Chelsea not tipped to contend, Smith believes this season could again be a two-horse race between defending champions Arsenal and Manchester City. 'I think Man City are the key challenger [to Arsenal],' he said via BestBettingSites.co.uk. 'Obviously, they have a new manager, so that puts a little question mark in there about how Maresca can settle with his players, but I still see them being the only challenger. There’s a whole host of others just below that, but I’d say it’s [between Arsenal and] City at the moment.'
Asked for his top-six prediction, Smith added: 'I’ve got to go for Arsenal winning it again; let’s hope. Then City. Manchester United, they finished third last year, and I think they’re going to be better off this year. Carrick is getting his feet under the table, so maybe Man United third, Liverpool fourth, and Chelsea perhaps having a much better season than they did last time under Alonso. They have made some good signings, so I’d see that as the top five, then that sixth spot I’d say Aston Villa are favourites.'
Season Opener and Context
Chelsea get their season underway with a visit to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham in a west London derby. The club's pre-season closed with an encouraging 3-1 win over Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge. Former Scotland striker Ally McCoist has tipped the Blues as dark horses for the upcoming season, but Smith's warning underscores the perceived weakness in goal.
The Blues' significant investment in the squad, including the record fee for Rogers, has raised expectations, but the goalkeeper position remains a concern. Whether Chelsea can address this before the transfer window closes remains to be seen.
