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Enzo Maresca has officially confirmed his decision regarding Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper for the upcoming matches.
Previously, it was widely believed that the Portuguese coach was still weighing his options regarding the goalkeeping position, particularly after Robert Sanchez made several costly mistakes.
Throughout Chelsea’s January fixtures, the Spanish shot-stopper faced intense scrutiny due to his lack of composure in goal. His performance came under fire, especially following an error that led to Manchester City’s second goal in their 3-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium.
Despite strong criticism from supporters, many of whom were pushing for Filip Jorgensen to be given an opportunity between the posts, Maresca initially stood by Sanchez and publicly expressed his confidence in him. However, on Thursday, the Chelsea head coach officially announced that Jorgensen would be taking over as the team’s primary goalkeeper. He emphasized that this decision was made to give Sanchez the necessary time to recover both mentally and physically.
Explaining his choice, Maresca stated: “I mentioned previously that starting Filip against West Ham was also about giving Robert a chance to regain both his mental and physical sharpness. Our intention is not to frequently rotate goalkeepers from match to match. At this point, Filip played in our most recent Premier League match against West Ham, which we won, while Robert was selected for the FA Cup game. Right now, Filip is our starting goalkeeper.”
Chelsea currently occupies the fourth position in the Premier League table with 43 points, sitting four points behind Nottingham Forest. Earlier in the season, the Blues had enjoyed a promising start, trailing only two points behind league leaders Liverpool in mid-December. However, their form took a significant dip in early 2025.
Sanchez, in particular, was on the receiving end of criticism from fans for several high-profile mistakes. One of his errors occurred in a match against Wolves, where he failed to properly handle a cross from a corner, leading to Matt Doherty scoring in the 45th minute at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca also provided insight into his discussion with Sanchez about the decision to replace him. He revealed: “I spoke with Robert a few days prior to the West Ham game, when I made the choice to start Filip. Since then, I haven’t brought it up again with either Robert or Filip. They both understand the current situation, and we’ll monitor how things progress.”
Jorgensen, a 22-year-old Danish goalkeeper, was signed by Chelsea from Villarreal in the summer of 2024 for a transfer fee of £20.7 million. He was recruited as a strong tactical fit for Maresca’s style of play, particularly with Kepa Arrizabalaga spending the season on loan at Bournemouth.
Thus far, Jorgensen has played three Premier League matches, conceding four goals. He has also played a crucial role in Chelsea’s campaign in the Conference League, featuring in all eight group-stage games that helped them advance to the round of 16. He is now set to start in Chelsea’s upcoming league fixture against Brighton at the American Express Stadium on Friday night.
