“It is his turn now”—Enzo maresca says as he reveals reason why Filip Jorgensen Replaces Robert Sanchez

Chelsea’s head coach, Enzo Maresca, made a bold and challenging decision prior to their match against West Ham United. He opted to drop Robert Sanchez, who had been criticized for a series of costly errors, and instead gave 22-year-old Filip Jorgensen an opportunity to step up and showcase his abilities. Despite this change between the posts, Chelsea’s ongoing defensive struggles persisted.

Interestingly, this wasn’t Maresca’s first experience with a significant goalkeeper change against West Ham at Stamford Bridge. Back in November 2019, when he was an assistant coach at Manchester City, Maresca played a key role in helping Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham team secure a narrow 1-0 victory over Chelsea by devising a tactical strategy that stifled their opponents. That match also featured a surprising goalkeeper switch, with David Martin replacing Roberto and managing to keep a clean sheet.

Fast forward five years, Maresca attempted a similar approach—this time as Chelsea’s head coach. Sanchez, who had struggled with mistakes, was benched in favor of Jorgensen, a young goalkeeper brought in from Villarreal for a transfer fee of £20.7 million. However, unlike the 2019 success, this gamble did not yield the desired outcome, as Chelsea failed to keep a clean sheet.

Jorgensen was not directly responsible for the first goal Chelsea conceded during the match. That particular error was attributed to Levi Colwill, whose poorly executed back pass gave West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen the opportunity to score with a precise finish. Despite the goalkeeper change, Chelsea continued to gift opponents easy scoring chances—an issue that has plagued their season. In fact, only Aston Villa and Southampton have committed more errors leading directly to goals in the Premier League.

Fans at Stamford Bridge were eager for change, and when Jorgensen’s name was announced in the starting lineup, the stadium erupted in cheers. Supporters had grown increasingly frustrated with Sanchez’s performances and were hopeful that the young goalkeeper could bring stability.

Jorgensen had some impressive moments during the match, notably catching crosses that Sanchez might have mishandled. However, his lack of experience was evident at times. He fumbled one cross, misplaced a pressured pass directly to a West Ham player, and came dangerously close to gifting Danny Ings an open goal from the halfway line. While his potential is clear, it’s also evident that he still has much to learn.

Despite rumors linking Chelsea to Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel during the January transfer window, the club chose not to sign an additional goalkeeper. However, with uncertainty surrounding both Sanchez and Jorgensen, a search for a more experienced option may become a priority during the summer transfer window.

The reality is that Sanchez has yet to prove himself as a top-tier goalkeeper, and now Jorgensen has the chance to demonstrate whether he can handle the immense pressure of being Chelsea’s first-choice keeper. Maresca’s willingness to make difficult decisions is commendable, but whether this particular change will address Chelsea’s defensive issues remains uncertain.

For now, Jorgensen has a significant opportunity to establish himself as Chelsea’s long-term solution. However, if the defensive errors persist, the club may find themselves with little choice but to explore alternative options come summer.