- Robert Sánchez produced an error-ridden display as Chelsea lost to Man City
- Enzo Maresca even admitted that he could go ahead and take down Sánchez.
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Chelsea will always create chances and score goals. The reason they haven't been able to sustain a title fight is that they lack experience and leadership at the other end.
Saturday night's defeat to Manchester City left them in sixth place – not what you would expect from a £1.3bn outlay on Todd Boehly.
I can see the benefits of investing in youth and potential, but there has to be a balance.
It is no coincidence that the best teams in the league this season, Liverpool and Arsenal, have a consistent central pairing in front of a reliable goalkeeper.
You cannot compare Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Alisson or William Saliba, Gabriel and David Raya with what Chelsea had at the Etihad.
Levi Colwill is still learning at 21, Trevoh Chalobah has never had a full season as a starter in the Premier League and Robert Sanchez is not at the level to compete for major trophies, which is where Chelsea want to be.
Robert Sánchez (left) could be eliminated by Enzo Maresca for Chelsea's next match
Chelsea is crying out for leadership in defense if they want to be a serious contender for titles.
You saw the weaknesses against City. They couldn't cope with Erling Haaland playing in the high line and with the time and space Ilkay Gundogan had to make his passes, it was inevitable that the champions would score.
Sánchez has good attributes as a goalkeeper, but he is not the right man to shore up the defensive line.
Chelsea will have no problems in the final third this season, but they will not keep enough clean sheets to compete at the top.
You see Van Dijk's leadership, guiding his teammates through games when necessary, you can see it when Jarrell Quansah plays. At Arsenal, Saliba is wonderfully calm and collected, but he is at his best when he has Gabriel's physicality and knowledge at his side.
It's about partnerships, about having the right combination. After Alan Hansen claimed that Manchester United would win nothing with children, he was reprimanded when United won the league.
But the Class of '92 has acknowledged that there is no way they would have been champions so early in their careers without the help of Peter Schmeichel, Dennis Irwin, Gary Pallister and Eric Cantona.
Chelsea's spending has been revolutionary, but their next major acquisition would be a defender with wisdom as well as athleticism.
I can see why they would be interested in Alejandro Garnacho given the situation with Mykhailo Mudrykh, but if they want to finish in the top four, what they need is a leader at the back.
Sanchez ran out of goal recklessly, allowing Erling Haaland to lift the ball over him.
I know from my own career the importance of having someone on the field who can help manage the team during difficult moments in games.
At Liverpool, he was indebted to the likes of Gary McAllister and Didi Hamann. I later played that role at Fulham with Aaron Hughes and Damien Duff.
Chelsea are exciting and lively. But to achieve their ambitions, they will not be able to achieve it with youth alone. When City struggled yesterday, they had John Stones and Manuel Akanji to help them.
Chelsea need to find the equivalent to prevent their season from going from flattering to deceiving.