Chelsea: “It’s His Turn Now” – Enzo Maresca Explains Filip Jorgensen’s Replacement of Robert Sanchez
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca made a bold decision ahead of their match against West Ham, dropping Robert Sanchez after a series of costly mistakes and giving 22-year-old Filip Jorgensen an opportunity to prove himself. However, despite the change in goalkeeper, Chelsea’s defensive issues persisted.
Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time Maresca was involved in a major goalkeeper change against West Ham at Stamford Bridge. Back in November 2019, when he was an assistant coach at Manchester City, he helped devise a tactical plan for Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham that led to a 1-0 victory over Chelsea. That game also featured a surprise goalkeeper change, with David Martin replacing Roberto and keeping a clean sheet.
Fast forward five years, and Maresca, now Chelsea’s head coach, made a similar move—this time dropping Sanchez, who had struggled with errors, and bringing in Jorgensen, a young goalkeeper signed from Villarreal for £20.7 million. Unfortunately, this switch didn’t result in a clean sheet.
Jorgensen was not at fault for the first goal Chelsea conceded, which came from a poor back-pass by Levi Colwill, allowing Jarrod Bowen to score for West Ham. Despite the change in goal, Chelsea continued to struggle with defensive lapses, an ongoing issue for them this season. In fact, only Aston Villa and Southampton have committed more errors leading to goals in the Premier League.
When Jorgensen’s name was announced before the match, Stamford Bridge erupted in cheers, as many fans had grown frustrated with Sanchez’s performances, and the change was welcomed.
While Jorgensen had some positive moments, including confidently catching crosses that Sanchez might have spilled, he also showed signs of inexperience. He fumbled one cross, misplaced a pass directly to West Ham under pressure, and nearly gifted Danny Ings an open goal from midfield. These errors indicated that while Jorgensen has potential, he still has a lot to learn.
Despite Chelsea being linked with Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel in the January transfer window, they opted not to bring in another goalkeeper. However, with doubts surrounding both Sanchez and Jorgensen, this could be an area the club looks to address in the summer.
The truth is that Sanchez has not proven to be a top-tier goalkeeper, and now Jorgensen has his chance to show he can handle the responsibility of being Chelsea’s number one.
Maresca has demonstrated his willingness to make tough decisions, but whether this change will solve Chelsea’s ongoing problems remains uncertain.
For now, the young goalkeeper has the opportunity to prove himself. However, if Chelsea’s defensive mistakes continue, the club may have to pursue a more experienced option come summer.
