Robert Sánchez has faced plenty of scrutiny since joining Chelsea, with critics quick to highlight the occasional mistake. But former Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo has jumped to the Spaniard’s defence, insisting that the positives far outweigh the negatives.

“Leave him alone! I had this question last season. You only focus on the mistakes,” Di Matteo told Goal.

“I know a goalkeeper makes a mistake and it is highlighted because most of the time it is a goal, but there are positives.”

The Champions League-winning manager believes Sánchez deserves far more recognition for his contributions between the sticks. “Switch it around for once. Look at how many good saves he made, how many points he won for the team. Yes, he has made some mistakes — every goalkeeper makes mistakes. But we can move on and be objective about Sánchez.”

Sánchez has already made a strong start to the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, keeping two clean sheets from Chelsea’s opening three matches and conceding just once. His sharp reflexes and calm distribution have helped Enzo Maresca’s side settle quickly into the new season.

Di Matteo reminded fans that goalkeepers’ errors are often magnified but argued for perspective. “OK, he has made six/seven mistakes that led to goals but how many points has he saved for the club with crucial saves? Let’s look at that. I think he’s a very good goalkeeper.”

While critics may continue to pick apart every slip, Sánchez has been showing consistency and resilience since the end of last season. And with Chelsea’s defence looking more solid than in recent years, the Spaniard could yet prove to be one of the Blues’ most important players this season.