Chelsea's January priority clear as Blues ace told to 'look at himself' after latest error

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca may need to sign a new goalkeeper (Image: Getty)

Robert Sanchez's generous Christmas gift was a belated surprise for Fulham, but it could cost him his place at Chelsea after producing yet another blunder in their 2-1 Boxing Day defeat.

Cole Palmer had put the Blues in front before substitute Harry Wilson equalised with a close-range header. On that occasion, Sanchez had every right to blame his defenders for failing to mark properly.

At 1-1 and with the seconds ticking away, Sanchez took it upon himself to try to launch a ball up field to mount one last Chelsea attack. In a matter of seconds, their chances of winning went up in smoke.

The Spaniard's long ball was badly underhit and fell straight to Sasa Lukic, who began a rapid counterattack which was finished by Rodrigo Muniz, who slotted past Sanchez to spark pandemonium in the away end.

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Former Chelsea and Fulham stopper Mark Schwarzer, covering the game as a pundit for the BBC, claimed Sanchez had to take his share of responsibility for the goal that handed the visitors all three points.

"Robert Sanchez looked to hit a massive diagonal and he doesn't hit it properly," Schwarzer told BBC Radio 5 Live. "That enabled Fulham to hit them on the counter and players were caught out of position.

"The goalkeeper has to look at himself, it was a poor clearance."

The mistake wasn't Sanchez's alone - Tosin Adarabioyo and Levi Colwill's reaction to the danger was nothing short of an embarrassment - but it gifted Fulham a rare chance to win when Chelsea had thrown everything forward to go for the victory.

Robert Sanchez has committed three errors leading to a goal this season (Image: Getty) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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It's not the first time he has cost his side points with an unforced error either and it won't be the last. He passed straight to Declan Rice to get Arsenal out of jail last season.

And earlier this term, he was at fault for both Brighton goals in a game Chelsea went on to win 4-2, as well as conceding a needless penalty against Manchester United in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

In fairness, Sanchez had actually made two smart stops earlier in the game to deny Calvin Bassey and Antonee Robinson and preserve Chelsea's slender lead. Those stops appeared to suggest Maresca's continued faith was justified after backing Sanchez as his number one choice.

"We are happy with Robert, for sure. He is there to help us when we need him," he said after the goalless draw with Everton.

Filip Jorgensen has only one Premier League appearance for Chelsea this season (Image: Getty)

He has saved his side on a few occasions this season with some top saves, and that aspect of his game is unquestionable. But for all of his goalkeeping heroics, distribution is such an important factor when teams play out from the back.

Sanchez has now committed three errors leading to goals - a tally only beaten by Arijanet Muric (five) in the Premier League - and it points to a worrying trend for the 27-year-old.

His error proved to be a fatal blow for their chances of winning and may perhaps have long-term repercussions for their title hopes, with Chelsea potentially falling 10 points behind Liverpool if they win both games in hand.

Maresca truly believes Sanchez is adequate enough and a better option than Filip Jorgensen. If he decides the Dane is still not good enough to challenge for the No 1 spot after his latest mistake, the Italian may need to consider moving for another goalkeeper in January - he can ill-afford more moments of this kind.

Chelsea's January priority clear as Blues ace told to 'look at himself' after latest error

Chelsea's January priority clear as Blues ace told to 'look at himself' after latest error

Chelsea's January priority clear as Blues ace told to 'look at himself' after latest error

Chelsea's January priority clear as Blues ace told to 'look at himself' after latest error

Chelsea's January priority clear as Blues ace told to 'look at himself' after latest error