Chelsea need to replace Robert Sanchez in goal in order to become Premier League title challengers, according to former Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker.
The Blues have made a fairly positive start to the new season with 14 points from their opening eight matches after losing 2-1 to Liverpool in their latest match.
Defeat at Anfield was only Chelsea‘s second of the new Premier League campaign with Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones scoring either side of a Nicolas Jackson equaliser.
Chelsea goalkeeper Sanchez faced criticism of his inability to smother Jones’ close-range finish as Liverpool retook the lead.
When asked if Chelsea can contend for the Premier League title with Sanchez in goal, Reo-Coker told BBC Five Live: “No. I think sometimes he can be a liability for Chelsea, in my opinion.
“He’s a top, top shot stopper. But I think there are too many mistakes in him and lapses in concentration at times.
“And one of the weaknesses in this Chelsea side is sometimes when they do try to play out from the back they leave themselves vulnerable. A well-organised team that presses well with payers who are comfortable in one-on-one situations can catch them off guard at times.
“For me, I feel they do need to improve in the goalkeeping area still for them to really talk about winning Premier League titles.”
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Former West Ham midfielder Reo-Coker thought Chelsea did well against Liverpool and was particularly impressed by Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo in midfield.
Reo-Coker added: “I do think it’s hard to criticise Chelsea today, I think where you look at where they’ve been, the absolute circus of a football club that they have been, that people have had so many opinions about them because of what they’ve done, you see these performances they’re putting in now… they did play well,’ he said.
“The one thing that’s actually puzzling to me though, I looked at the midfield partnership of Lavia and Caicedo today, I felt that’s the best Chelsea have looked in midfield, they looked strong in there.
“It goes to the point at the start of the season, the Enzo Fernandez incident, you make him club captain, and yet he’s not playing in probably one of your biggest games of the season to date, away at Anfield against title contenders Liverpool.”
Pedro Neto replaced Jadon Sancho at half-time and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard insists Enzo Maresca must start the “dynamic” former Wolves man in their next match.
Lampard told Premier League Productions: “It’s always disappointing when you feel like you probably done some good things in the game and the other team, someone with the quality of Liverpool aren’t at their best, but you don’t come away with anything.
“And maybe at the top end of the pitch, the game-changers we’ve seen, particularly Cole Palmer, didn’t really have their moments when you felt that they might do.
“I think Pedro Neto came on and added a lot, I think he probably pushed himself into a big chance of starting the next games going forward. I think he should, I think he’s dynamic and he changed it a bit from up there.
“But they’re probably lacking that little bit of an edge at the top end of the pitch really, some good stuff for them there but in the end they’ll go home disappointed because at least you get something when you play like that.”
