Enzo Maresca has officially confirmed his choice for Chelsea’s starting goalkeeper, following a series of costly mistakes from Robert Sanchez.
Initially, there were uncertainties over the goalkeeper position after Sanchez’s high-profile errors, most notably his role in Manchester City’s second goal during a 3-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium in January. Despite backlash from fans calling for Filip Jorgensen to be given a chance, Maresca had backed Sanchez and shown trust in him.
However, on Thursday, the Chelsea manager announced that Jorgensen would now be the team’s first-choice goalkeeper, giving Sanchez time to recover both mentally and physically. Maresca explained his decision, saying: “I mentioned that starting Filip against West Ham was also about giving Robert time to regain his mental and physical sharpness. The plan is not to rotate goalkeepers from game to game. Filip played in our last Premier League match against West Ham, which we won, while Robert featured in the FA Cup. At this moment, our starting goalkeeper is Filip.”
Currently sitting fourth in the Premier League with 43 points, Chelsea’s form has been inconsistent since mid-December, when they were just two points behind league leaders Liverpool. Their dip in performance in early 2025 led to more criticism of Sanchez for mistakes, including a mishandled cross against Wolves that led to a goal.
Maresca shared insight into his conversation with Sanchez, saying: “I spoke with Robert a few days before the West Ham match when I made the call to start Filip. Since then, I haven’t discussed it with him again, nor with Filip. They both understand the situation, and we’ll see how things develop.”
Jorgensen, who joined Chelsea from Villarreal in the summer of 2024 for £20.7 million, is seen as a fit for Maresca’s tactical system. He has made three Premier League appearances so far and is expected to start in Chelsea’s next league match against Brighton on Friday night.
