Former England number one goalkeeper Joe Hart has told Telecom Asia that Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez is enjoying a great start to the season and has deserved his position as the club’s number one.
Sanchez produced two brilliant saves late in the game against Nottingham Forest, the second being a reflex save that ensured Forest could only earn a point while Chelsea remained undefeated since the opening day of the season.
The goalkeeping position at Chelsea has been a hot topic after last season’s number one, Djordje Petrovic, was sent out on loan to Strasbourg, and summer signing Filip Jörgensen has only been used in Cup games.
Hart, who won the Premier League title with Manchester City and earned 75 caps for England, said Sanchez has earned his keep:
Listen, today he was brilliant, and he was probably the reason Chelsea gained a point. I look at goalkeepers and know that goalkeeping is about moments, and he has shown that this season he is the number one and has been doing a great job at that. When you have a good goalkeeper, he is capable of winning you points, and I think he’s done that already this season for Chelsea.
Joe Hart exclusively for Telecom Asia Sport
Chelsea ended this stretch of games ahead of the international break without a defeat, having won all three of their away games, but they could only manage one win in four home league games.
However, they have shown incredible development, rising to fourth in the league table—just four points behind first-place Liverpool and level on points with Aston Villa, who beat Bayern Munich the other week—as well as being an impressive six points ahead of Manchester United, who are expected to compete with them for a Champions League spot later in the season.