Graham Potter insists Chelsea star is ‘world class’ after criticism from pundits

Former Chelsea head coach Graham Potter insists that Blues star Robert Sanchez is ‘world class’, despite the goalkeeper facing criticism this season.

Sanchez has operated as the No.1 ‘keeper under Enzo Maresca, despite the west Londoners spending £20.7m on Filip Jorgensen in the summer transfer window.

Ex-Chelsea star John Obi Mikel, now a football pundit, warned last week that Sanchez could prevent his old club from winning the Premier League title.

Potter, though, sees things very differently and hailed his former player after he made a series of vital saves in the 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

‘His high-end actions are world-class,’ Potter told the BBC. ‘He has got the power, the size, the agility, the speed, he just makes the goal look really, really small.

‘He plucks things out of the air just effortlessly. So that doesn’t surprise me. He is still a young goalkeeper, so he’s still working on being consistent with how he did, but his high-end stuff is world class.

‘I think it’s about simplifying it sometimes with him. I think the structure that Enzo has put in will help him as well.

‘But he has got a range of pass, he can go long, he can threaten the backline from the goalkeeper, that’s a real asset to have because as soon as you do that, it changes the defensive structure for the opponent because now they are thinking that guy is going to clear the backline.

‘He has got all the tools to be an absolute top keeper.’

Obi Mikel, meanwhile, speaking after Chelsea’s 4-2 win over Brighton on September 28, said: ‘[Sanchez] had a nightmare in the first half, he was at fault for the first two goals so for me, that’s a concern.

‘Of course, the two games before that he performed very, very well but you want to be a title-winning team, you need a top, top goalkeeper.

‘Let’s not kid ourselves, we don’t have that. No disrespect to Robert Sanchez, he’s a fantastic goalkeeper but we need a top, top goalkeeper to compete.’

Obi Mikel continued: ‘If he wants to become a top goalkeeper, he needs to start putting in those performances.

‘We know he’s not very good with his feet, that’s not a problem but we need a goalkeeper that’s assured in the goal, can make saves but I watched the game [against Brighton] and he was at fault for both goals.’

Sanchez was also criticised by pundits for his performance in the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in August.

‘Sanchez got himself in a little bit of a pickle with his feet,’ former City goalkeeper Joe Hart said. ‘I think he got a little bit lost in the goal.

‘It’s just the timing on the hand – I think he will feel that he could have done better.’

Gary Neville, meanwhile, added: ‘I always fear when a new player is signed – and Jorgensen has come in – because the current player is probably looking over his shoulder a bit.

‘[Sanchez] is probably worried to death and maybe we saw that [against Man City] because he did look a little nervy.