Robert Sanchez praised for 'unbelievable' display in Chelsea win over Everton in Premier League - 'He’s won them three points'
ByOli Gent
Published 26/04/2025 at 16:33 GMT+1
TNT Sports expert Peter Crouch raved about Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez's man of the match performance after the Spaniard helped The Blues to a narrow 1-0 win over Everton. Sanchez, the former Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper, made some big saves to keep Enzo Maresca's side ahead at Stamford Bridge and hold out for a victory that elevated them into fourth in the Premier League table.
Sanchez pulls off ‘quite brilliant’ save to deny Everton late equaliser
Video credit: TNT Sports
TNT Sports experts Peter Crouch and Karen Carney hailed an "unbelievable" display from Robert Sanchez as the goalkeeper's saves helped Chelsea eke out a 1-0 win over Everton.
The Spaniard has come under some scrutiny this term, but he earned the man of the match award in front of the TNT Sports cameras at Stamford Bridge.
Sanchez, the former Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper, was dropped by Maresca in February after a mistake-ridden performance in the 3-1 defeat to Manchester City, although he was quickly restored between the sticks after his deputy, Filip Jorgensen, made a critical error in the 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.
Since then, Sanchez has faced criticism, with some arguing he is not good enough for Chelsea to challenge for the Premier League title.
However, he silenced those critics with a superb performance against Everton, producing some match-winning moments that wowed TNT Sports pundit Crouch.
"I don’t think Beto can do a lot more," Crouch said of Sanchez's outstanding save from the Everton striker, who had seemed certain to equalise for the Toffees.
- Palmer's output crash 'a mental thing', says Maresca
- Real ‘never considered' withdrawing from Copa del Rey final after ref drama
"It’s right in the corner, and it’s a magnificent save. Today was Sanchez’s day. You did watch him grow in confidence. At corners, the free kicks, the crosses, they were coming under pressure, and he came out and claimed them.
"He’s definitely got the ability to be the No. 1 goalkeeper here, it’s just about the confidence. He got man of the match today, and the fans have acknowledged the fact that he’s made some mistakes, but today he’s won them three points."
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/04/26/4120936-83556368-2560-1440.jpg)
'A nerve-settling goal' - Jackson beats Pickford with strike from distance
Video credit: TNT Sports
Fellow TNT expert Carney labelled Sanchez's display as "unbelievable", but disagreed with Crouch on whether the Spaniard could be Chelsea's longer-term No. 1.
"[The saves] were unbelievable," said Carney.
"When you get criticised, you have to try and put in the performances, and he absolutely did. A great strong arm [to deny Beto], and he was quick to move his feet and get down.
"I don’t want to be too harsh on him because he was brilliant today, but if Chelsea have the aspirations to go to where fans want them to be, I’m not sure he’s the goalkeeper to get them there to win Premier League and Champions League titles.
"Today he was brilliant, but in the future, I think they’ll be looking in the transfer market."
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/04/26/4120963-83556913-2560-1440.jpg)
Jackson warns he is ‘coming back to his level’ after bagging winner against Everton
Video credit: TNT Sports
Nicolas Jackson's strike from range was the deciding factor in an otherwise even game, and the three points lift Chelsea into the top four ahead of the rest of the weekend's action, and back into UEFA Champions League qualification contention.
The Blues' next outing will be in the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final, when they travel to Djurgardens in Sweden.
You can watch that game exclusively live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Related Topics
Thoughts?