Robert Sanchez admits it's "difficult" playing how Enzo Maresca wants him to
- Barnaby Lane
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has opened up on why it's sometimes “difficult” to play the way Enzo Maresca wants him to.
Sanchez has faced heavy criticism this season for a string of mixed performances, having made the joint-most errors leading to goals in the Premier League.
Many of those mistakes have come as a result of being asked to play out from the back – something Maresca remains adamant about, even in the face of Sanchez’s continued struggles.
“It’s football and I’m the guy who asks Robbie to do that,” Maresca explained back in October. “Robbie is going to do that because the moment he stops, he isn’t going to play.”
Speaking to Chelsea’s official website after the Blues’ 0-0 draw with Brentford at the weekend, Sanchez admitted it can be challenging to play in Maresca's system – especially against teams that press high.
“We always try to play out. I try to hold the ball to find the spaces. But it's difficult when they play man-to-man, you have to look for the second line or behind,” he said. “It worked a couple of times, and you have to be available to do anything.”
Despite his continued issues with distribution, Sanchez made two crucial saves against Brentford – first denying Keane Lewis-Potter in the first half, then pulling off a stunning stop late on to keep out Bryan Mbuemo’s powerful effort.
Reflecting on his performance, Sanchez said: “There were a couple of good saves. A game like this is difficult. I tried to keep it simple and consistent. It was a good performance.”
On the result – which kept Chelsea in fourth place and in control of the race for a Champions League spot – he added: “The confidence of the team is high. After the international break, we got the win against Spurs and did a job at Brentford.”
“We know what we’re doing, and we just need to go into every game and get as many points as possible,” he said.
Clinton Morrison: Maresca will be Chelsea's "downfall"
While Sanchez, and Maresca, may have been satisfied with Chelsea’s point against Brentford, much of the post-match discussion centred on Maresca’s surprise starting lineup.
The Italian manager made the bold call to leave out Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Marc Cucurella, and Pedro Neto, opting instead to start Malo Gusto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Christopher Nkunku, and Noni Madueke.
The decision drew widespread criticism from fans, especially after all four replacements struggled to make an impact and were eventually substituted in the second half.
Maresca defended his selection, explaining that his game plan was to “start the game in one way and finish in another way” – and insisted it “almost worked.”
Former Premier League striker and Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison, however, wasn’t convinced.
“I don’t get what Maresca is doing,” Morrison said on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast. “It’s like when they were second in the league and he kept playing down their chances of challenging for the title. Now they’re in a position to finish in the Champions League places, and he makes all of those changes.”
“Don’t rest your players in the Premier League,” he continued. “I think it’ll go right down to the wire with them, and I’m not so confident.”
Morrison went so far as to suggest that Maresca “is going to be [Chelsea’s] downfall.”
“How can you not play Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson?” he said. “I was shocked.”
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