He didn’t trust himself - Mikel questions Chelsea star's self-belief

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has raised concerns about Robert Sanchez’s confidence, claiming the goalkeeper “doesn’t trust himself” following a shaky start to the season.

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Chelsea have endured a mixed campaign so far, with flashes of promise from youngsters like Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian overshadowed by costly individual errors.

The goalkeeping position, in particular, has been under scrutiny after Sanchez’s red card against Manchester United and Filip Jorgensen’s underwhelming performance against Lincoln.

Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel dissected Sanchez’s mistake against United, suggesting it was rooted in self-doubt.

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“For him [Sanchez] to make such a mistake, you know, you run out, you come out of your line, why don’t you just pedal back and try to make yourself big and defend the goal? I think it’s a matter of not trusting himself,” Mikel said.

He added, “A goalkeeper who trusts himself would have pedalled back and gone to his goal line. Let the striker come face-to-face, make yourself big and try to make the save. But he didn’t trust himself, and it led to a rash decision.”

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Chelsea had the chance to pursue world-class alternatives like Mike Maignan and Gianluigi Donnarumma in the summer but opted against reinforcing the position.