Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic was described as ‘world class’ on the same day that Robert Sanchez’s struggles in between the posts continued.
Sanchez’s position in Enzo Maresca’s side has come under increasing pressure in the last few weeks and the Spaniard did not help his cause with another error-strewn display as Chelsea lost 3-1 against Manchester City.
In the first half, Sanchez was let off the hook when he spilled an effort straight into the path of Omar Marmoush who tapped home but was quickly flagged for offside.
However, the Chelsea shotstopper made a costly error after the break and was punished when he brainlessly raced off his line and allowed Erling Haaland to loft the ball into an open net as he stood in no man’s land.
Meanwhile, over in France, Petrovic turned in another superb display for his new club, Strasbourg, as they maintained their impressive unbeaten run with a 2-1 win against Lille.
Petrovic played 31 times under Mauricio Pochettino last season but was deemed surplus to requirements by Maresca following the signing of Filip Jorgensen in the summer.
And while Sanchez has struggled since being reinstated as first-choice keeper at Stamford Bridge, Petrovic has been lauded for his performances since joining the Ligue 1 side on loan for the season.
‘We have seen huge progress from Petro,’ Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior said at full-time when asked about Petrovic’s most recent display.
‘He is a world-class goalkeeper. We see it every day and it is still paying off today.’
Maresca, meanwhile, insisted that he still had trust in Sanchez’s ability despite his latest concerning performance.
‘For sure, he is completely aware he has to do better,’ Maresca said after Chelsea’s defeat at the Etihad Stadium.
‘He was completely aware after the game, he knows perfectly. In this moment it’s like this.
‘The good thing is he’s the first one who knows he has to do better.’
Asked if he still trusts Sanchez, Maresca replied: ‘We trust Robert, for sure.
‘But in the same moment, as I said, the first one who is completely aware he’s making a mistake is Robert.
‘So for sure we continue to trust Robert, we trust Robert but now we have one entire week and we see the reaction and then we decide for the next game.’
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