An emerging Premier League team’s stock is never higher than during the second international break. Every season provides the in-form side who suddenly ‘demand to be taken seriously’ or are ‘now a credible title threat’.
This year’s biggest status beneficiaries were Chelsea, unbeaten since the opening day and with a chance to go above Arsenal with a win at Anfield. Their 2-1 defeat was both harsh and instructive.
Few teams win the league with an erratic goalkeeper and that was a fair description of Robert Sanchez. Watching Mohamed Salah prepare to take his penalty from the over-the-shoulder Spidercam angle, Sanchez did not look as if he stood a chance.
This despite Salah’s uneven record from the spot, missing four of his last 12 attempts in the Premier League. So it proved, Sanchez going the wrong way.
At least the penalty had nothing to do with Chelsea’s Spanish keeper, but he was fortunate not to give away a second for his rash upending of Curtis Jones. VAR reprieved him on the grounds of a brief brush of the ball before felling the midfielder like a reckless lumberjack.
The credit for Jones’ winner went mainly to Salah for a wonderful cross but there was a hint of indecision to Sanchez’s angle-narrowing attempt which gave Jones space to prod in despite a loose first touch.
It should be stressed that this was neither a woeful performance from Sanchez nor representative of a previously reasonable season. Admittedly, Chelsea’s 4-2 home win against Brighton masked a couple of howlers. Georginio Rutter headed in the first with Sanchez stranded while trying to punch away a deflection, then Carlos Baleba punished him for a lax pass straight towards his opponent.
But such is the way with goalkeepers, whose ricks are unforgettable and eclipse a body of otherwise competent work.
Remember too his point-sealing saves from Neco Williams and Jota Silva in the draw with Nottingham Forest, and an impressive clean sheet at Bournemouth, including saving a penalty from Evanilson – a penalty Sanchez gave away.
James the merciless
During half-time there was an Anfield re-appearance for David James, another accomplished keeper capable of self-inflicted pain. He was on ceremonial goalkeeping duty in front of the Kop for a competition in which a child was attempting to win signed match shirts.
The usual protocol here is to theatrically dive the wrong way, ideally in a mascot’s outfit, but James saved his first attempt.
This was understandably booed with gusto so the kid was given a second chance. James threw himself full stretch to the bottom corner, saving acrobatically with his legs.
Where was that kind of consistency, some Liverpool fans wondered, when James was in goal for a good but flawed Liverpool side in the mid-90s?
At 26 Sanchez has years left to reach his peak, so plenty of time to hit the level all top keepers must. In time the errors must become quirks rather than regular occurrences. For now he and his club clearly still have a way to go.
