- Filip Jorgensen is given just his third league start in 2-1 victory over West Ham
- Robert Sanchez was dropped as No 1 after a series of errors which lead to goals
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There are West Ham fans who fondly refer to trips to Stamford Bridge as ‘David Martin Day’ – a nod to the time in November 2019 when the son of Hammers legend Alvin replaced the hapless Roberto in goal and secured a clean sheet on his Premier League debut in a 1-0 win.
Enzo Maresca was one of Manuel Pellegrini’s assistants that day, and the story goes he orchestrated that victory.
He came up with a game plan to stop Chelsea from playing through the middle as he pushed them wide to the flanks and even took over training in the build-up.
More than five years on, this match brought with it some symmetry as Maresca decided it was time for another axing in goal.
Out went Robert Sanchez after making one too many mistakes for his manager’s liking, and in came the 22-year-old understudy Filip Jorgensen.
Unfortunately for Maresca, unlike in 2019, the goalkeeping change did not deliver the clean sheet he craved on this occasion.
Filip Jorgensen makes just his third top-flight start since joining from Villarreal last summer
Robert Sanchez, meanwhile, was dropped to the bench for the match against West Ham
Jorgensen could do little about Jarrod Bowen’s well-taken opening goal for the Hammers
It was a case of new goalkeeper and same old story for Chelsea with an avoidable opener conceded as they were made to win the hard way.
Only Aston Villa and Southampton have committed more errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season.
It has become a problem for the Blues, and one which Maresca hoped might be helped by removing Sanchez from the limelight after his high-profile mishaps.
Jarrod Bowen’s first-half strike should not go down as a black mark against Jorgensen, mind. It was Levi Colwill with the pitiful back-pass which left Bowen through one on one.
A fine finish followed, into the corner and out of the goalkeeper’s reach. But still, Chelsea were their own worst enemy in that moment, leaving themselves with a mountain to climb.
Jorgensen was a signing for the future as a £20.7million buy from Villarreal on a seven-year contract but he will need to speed up his progress, now that Maresca believes it is his turn.
The volume of the cheer from Chelsea’s supporters, when his name was announced before kick-off, told you what Stamford Bridge thought.
There were further hurrahs when he caught one long ball after growing tired of seeing the odd spillage from Sanchez.
Sanchez was dropped after a string of high-profile errors such as his positioning against Man City which led to this lob from Erling Haaland in last month’s 3-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium
Only Aston Villa and Southampton have committed more errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season than Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side who have moved up to fourth place
Cole Palmer congratulates Filip Jorgensen after Chelsea secure a 2-1 victory over West Ham
For those fans, this swap was long overdue. There was the odd scare from Jorgensen, like when he briefly fumbled Andy Irving’s cross, or when he played a panicked pass straight to West Ham while being pressed, or when he nearly gave Danny Ings an open goal from the half-way line.
Chelsea resisted shopping around for a new goalkeeper in the January window, despite being linked with Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel.
Club insiders have not stood up that apparent interest. But this is a position to watch for the next summer.
The truth is, Sanchez is not elite enough to take Chelsea to the next level, and it appears we will now get to see whether Jorgensen is up to scratch, now that it is his turn.
