"If Chelsea Want to Win the Premier League, We Need a Better Goalkeeper" – John Obi Mikel Warns Enzo Maresca

According to former Chelsea player John Obi Mikel, if Chelsea hopes to contend for the Premier League title or simply place in the top four, they need a stronger, more dependable goalkeeper. Although Chelsea’s current first-choice goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez, occasionally plays well, Mikel believes he isn’t reliable enough to lead the club to victory.

Chelsea has struggled to find a dependable goalkeeper ever since Thibaut Courtois left the club in 2018. Since then, they have spent a lot of money on goalkeepers, including bringing in Kepa Arrizabalaga, who didn’t perform as expected and is now on loan to Real Madrid. Edouard Mendy, who had a strong start but eventually struggled, was also signed. They now depend on Sanchez, but he hasn’t always performed well, and the team has lost valuable points as a result of some of his mistakes.

Mikel shared his opinion on his “Obi One Podcast,” saying, “[Robert] Sanchez does have a couple of performances here and there, but if we are to win the Premier League or finish in the top four, I think we need a better top goalkeeper. A goalkeeper who’s steady, calm, and reliable.”

Like Mikel, a lot of supporters as well as critics believe Sanchez is unreliable enough for a team hoping to compete at the highest level and makes too many mistakes. Although Mikel and others feel that Chelsea needs more immediate consistency and goalkeeper security, it appears that Chelsea’s coach, Enzo Maresca, sees potential in Sanchez and thinks he can get better.

Besides Sanchez, Chelsea also has Filip Jorgensen, who mostly plays in cup games and hasn’t been given a real chance to prove himself in the Premier League. Chelsea also brought in young goalkeeper Mike Penders and signed Djordje Petrovic, who did well last season but was sent on loan to Strasbourg.

Maresca appears to be sticking with Sanchez for the time being, despite some supporters thinking that Jorgensen or Petrovic would be a better choice than Sanchez. However, the coach might think about giving someone else a chance if Sanchez’s performance doesn’t become better.

Chelsea’s goalkeeping issue could have a major effect on their performance this season. Many believe that in order to compete with the best clubs, they must have a keeper that is constant and reliable in all games, as Mikel mentioned. Sanchez will need to improve to maintain his spot, or Chelsea may look into other options. How they handle this situation may have an impact on their prospects of finishing in the top four or maybe challenging for the title.