Chelsea's Robert Sanchez Faces Scathing Criticism After Costly Late Error
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has been subjected to brutal criticism from former professional footballer and pundit Jamie O'Hara, who branded the Spanish shot-stopper "stupid" and accused him of displaying "non-league" standard decision-making during Chelsea's disappointing 1-1 draw against Burnley on Saturday.
A Game That Slipped Away
The Blues appeared destined for a straightforward victory when Joao Pedro continued his impressive scoring form with an early fourth-minute goal. However, Liam Rosenior's side failed to capitalize on their promising start and ultimately surrendered two crucial points when Zian Flemming headed home a dramatic injury-time equalizer for Burnley.
While the Chelsea manager pointed to an unnamed player's failure to mark the Dutch striker from the corner that led to the late goal, O'Hara directed his ire squarely at Sanchez for what he deemed an even more fundamental error just minutes earlier.
The 85th-Minute Mistake
In the 85th minute, with Chelsea desperately trying to see out the game, Sanchez collected possession. Rather than opting to slow the game down and manage the clock—a standard professional tactic—the goalkeeper attempted to launch a rapid counter-attack by clearing the ball upfield toward Joao Pedro, who was visibly struggling with cramp at the time.
"How old is Robert Sanchez? He's not young, is he. He's got plenty of experience," O'Hara questioned during his talkSPORT appearance alongside co-host Jason Cundy. Before Cundy could respond, O'Hara continued his tirade: "In the 85th minute, the ball comes to him. All you do, go down. Hold onto it."
As Cundy asked, "What does he do?" O'Hara replied with exasperation: "He boots it straight to a Burnley player, and they're back on it! He's done it twice. I'm looking at him going 'What is he doing?' That ain't about being young, that's about being stupid!"
Pundits Unite in Criticism
Cundy wholeheartedly agreed with his colleague's assessment, adding: "Catch it, go down, kill the clock. He boots it to Joao Pedro, who's pulling up with cramp. What's he going to do when he gets it? It's 3v1. When if it's the perfect pass, what's he going to do? It's 3v1."
O'Hara further elaborated on what he viewed as the correct professional approach: "You get hold of it, you go down, get the team up and then you boot it into the corner, right? You've wasted two minutes. That stuff there, right there, is where Chelsea are just ridiculous all the time. It's like non-league stuff."
Managerial Frustration and Team Issues
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior expressed his frustration with the team's inability to close out games, particularly after Wesley Fofana's red card—shown for a second booking following a late tackle on James Ward-Prowse—left the Blues with ten men. Despite having four central defenders on the pitch during Burnley's equalizer, none were positioned to challenge Flemming as he met Ward-Prowse's cross.
Rosenior pointed to alarming parallels with Chelsea's previous failure to finish off Leeds United when leading 2-0, noting that the team's disciplinary problems persist. "That wasn't on Wesley," Rosenior said of the collapse. "That was on our performance. From the first goal, we lacked incision when we had control. I want us to create wave after wave of attacks. We were too safe in our possession."
The manager specifically addressed the set-piece vulnerability that led to Burnley's goal: "We knew their biggest threat with Ward-Prowse on the pitch was set plays. We went as big as we possibly could because that was the only way they could score with 10 men. We still don't see it out."
A Costly Pattern Emerging
Rosenior delivered a damning assessment of the points dropped: "We've set fire to four points from two home games. It's not good enough for a club of this level for me to say we were the better team." He emphasized that he's in a process of evaluation: "I'm learning about the players. I'm learning about the people you can lean on when things aren't going your way and you need to see a game out. That's something we need to address very quickly."
The criticism directed at Sanchez highlights broader concerns about Chelsea's game management and decision-making under pressure. With the team demonstrating a troubling pattern of surrendering leads and accumulating disciplinary issues, Rosenior faces mounting pressure to instill greater composure and tactical discipline in his squad as they navigate a challenging Premier League campaign.
