Is Chelsea's Sanchez now one of the Premier League's best goalkeepers?

 

At the start of August, an injury to Thibaut Courtois threatened to derail Real Madrid's campaign before it had even begun. The Belgian sustained an ACL injury that will effectively sideline him for the season, and it meant Los Blancos had to dip into the market for a new goalkeeper. David De Gea, fresh from his release at Manchester United, seemed the logical choice for the Spanish giants, but Real Madrid instead turned their attention to Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga. 

 

Suddenly, where Chelsea were set for their number one goalkeeper for the season, they then needed to alter their plans for the campaign ahead. The Blues had signed Robert Sanchez from Brighton, but the expectation was that the Spaniard would provide backup for compatriot Kepa having previously lost his number one spot to Jason Steele at the AMEX. The 25-year-old looked well short of match fitness in the opening weeks of the season.

 

Up until the first international break of the season, Sanchez had the worst save success rate (54.5%) in the division and was the lowest rated active Premier League goalkeeper (6.41). Since that first international break last month, though, Sanchez has shown a marked improvement in his performances. Indeed, he made the team of the month with a WhoScored rating of 7.38 having conceded just two goals in September.

 

On Monday night, meanwhile, Sanchez kept his third Premier League clean sheet of the season as Chelsea secured a 2-0 win at Craven Cottage; no goalkeeper has more to their name in England's top tier this term. In addition, a save success rate of 76% is now the third best in the Premier League behind Alisson (88.2%) and Guglielmo Vicario (79.4%). Chelsea's goalkeeper has gone from being a bit of a liability to one of the best in the division. 

 

Evidently, rustiness played a part in Sanchez's disappointing start to the season, and that is to be expected. He did, after all, only move to Chelsea a week before the campaign started, so had little time to settle into his new surroundings and adjust to playing with his new teammates before being thrust into the limelight as the club's new first choice goalkeeper. In addition, of the 14 league appearances he has made this calendar year, seven have come for the west London side after he dropped to second choice with the Seagulls, so a lack of first team action had an adverse effect on his performances. 

 

Now, though, Chelsea are reaping the benefits of giving Sanchez a consistent run in the team. Not only has his shotstopping stood out, but so too has his command of his area. One core weakness of Kepa's was that he was unable to really dominate the penalty box and this was exposed far too often as opponents routinely put the ball into the box to test Chelsea's resolve. Under Sanchez, though, the Blues finally have a goalkeeper who is willing to commit to claiming high balls into the box. 

 

Sanchez ranks fourth for high ball claims (8) in the Premier League this season, while an average of 1.14 per game is the best of all Chelsea players in England's top tier since the start of the 2022/23 campaign. For context, Kepa was averaging 0.45 per game, while Edouard Mendy averaged 0.8 per game. This is imperative to not only ease pressure on the Chelsea goal, but help set them on the frontfoot. 

 

While Chelsea have struggled to put the ball in the back of the net, the underlying numbers are solid. The Blues rank second for possession (63.7%) and fourth for pass success rate (88.1%). Therefore a goalkeeper who is sound with their feet is key as they look to dominate opponents. The modern day goalkeeper needs to act as an 11th outfielder at times to ensure control, and while Sanchez had lost his place between the Brighton sticks because Roberto De Zerbi felt Steele was better with the ball at his feet, the Blues shotstopper is performing superbly in possession. 

 

 

Of the 28 players to have attempted 50 or more long balls, Sanchez has the best long ball success rate (61.3%) in the Premier League this season. What's more, the Chelsea star has the best pass success rate (87.7%) of goalkeepers in the top flight of English football this term, so he's carrying out his necessary duties both in and out of possessesion. 

 

What's most impressive, though, is that Sanchez has overcome early adversity to leave his mark on the squad. Mauricio Pochettino's decision to revert to a four-man defence has certainly helped, but Sanchez deserves ample credit for the way he has turned his fortunes around at Stamford Bridge.

Is Chelsea's Sanchez now one of the Premier League's best goalkeepers?