Jamie O’Hara has commended Chelsea’s strong start to the season but highlighted goalkeeper Robert Sanchez as a major weakness for the team.
The Blues secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Leicester City over the weekend, with goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez keeping them in third place in the league.
The win also brought them within a point of Manchester City, after Pep Guardiola’s team suffered a defeat to Tottenham.
However, O’Hara criticized Sanchez’s performances, calling the Spanish goalkeeper a “massive problem.”
Despite manager Enzo Maresca publicly defending Sanchez, the 26-year-old has been under fire for several costly errors this season.
In the Leicester match, Sanchez faced little threat due to a lackluster performance from the Foxes, but many fans and pundits, including former Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, believe the club needs a more reliable option in goal.
Speaking on talkSPORT, O’Hara said, “Chelsea look good, but they’re still vulnerable at the back. Sanchez, the goalkeeper, is a massive problem. He’s terrible.
Teams that win the league don’t have poor goalkeepers. Every title-winning team has a top-class goalkeeper.”
O’Hara’s comments reflect the growing view that Chelsea must resolve their goalkeeping situation if they are to mount a serious Premier League title challenge.
Backup keeper Filip Jorgensen is set to play in the Conference League against Heidenheim, but Sanchez is expected to return to the starting lineup against Aston Villa on Sunday.
