By Paul Green at Stamford Bridge
ENZO Maresca believes Robert Sanchez can build upon Saturday’s superb saves which secured a vital 1-0 win over Everton in Chelsea’s bid for Champions League football.
Nicolas Jackson fired the dominant Blues ahead in the 27th minute, although it was a much more even affair after the interval as the Toffees twice came close to rescuing a point.
Sanchez produced a stunning pair of one-handed saves from Beto and Dwight McNeil to ensure Chelsea occupy the fifth and final Champions League spot for now.
The Spanish goalkeeper has come in for plenty of criticism for some costly mistakes since arriving from Brighton two years ago.
But his boss was quick to heap praise on his number one at the final whistle.
Maresca said: “You can see the team-mates out there celebrating with him also at the end of the game.
“You can see that the team-mates, the team, they know that for Robert it has not been a good moment (this season) and so they tried to support him and to help him.”
He added: “Robert had already many good moments this season.
“Just one was Tottenham if you remember at home where we were winning 1-0 and on 90 minutes he did a great save.
“It is normal that us as human beings you always remember bad things and not the good things.
“With Robert we remember the mistakes but also he has had some very good moments with us, so hopefully he can continue.”
Jordan Pickford did well to push behind Noni Madueke’s early drive but the Toffees goalkeeper was beaten on 27 minutes as Chelsea went in front.
Beto was easily dispossessed near the halfway line and Endo Fernandez’s low pass through to Jackson ended with a clinical finish from outside the box by the Blues striker.
Abdoulaye Doucoure might have levelled in first-half stoppage-time had he not placed his header off-target and Beto drew the first of those excellent one-handed stops from Sanchez on 63 minutes.
Pickford denied Mudweke after a great run into the area from the Chelsea ace ended with a strike on goal.
Jackson had the ball in the back of the net again, but this time it was cancelled out for offside.
And with the clock ticking down, Sanchez made the second of his saves, this time denying substitute McNeil.
A touchline ban meant Maresca was forced to watch the game in the Stamford Bridge press box, an experience he won’t be looking to repeat anytime soon.
The SW6 chief explained: “I prefer to be on the bench. It is the worst [place to sit] because you want to say something but nobody can hear.
“I was in contact with the bench.
“Next to me there was a member of the coaching staff that sometimes spread the message with the ones on the bench.”
Maresca added: “I think in the first half we controlled the game.
“We dominated, we created chances, we didn’t concede nothing, and then second half I think we dropped a little bit.
“It is part of the game because it was also the first game with 20 degrees, so it was a little bit of a weird game.
“But the good thing was that we were strong and nasty enough when we need to be like that.
“Overall I think we deserved to win the game and we are happy.”
