Former Chelsea boss Graham Potter believes Mikel Obi is wrong in his assessment of one of the Blues' key players.
Former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter has jumped to the defence of Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, labeling him "world-class" despite the criticism he's faced this season.
Sanchez has been under the spotlight, particularly after former Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi questioned whether he had what it takes to help the team win the Premier League title
16:10 - 06.10.2024
Aina halts Chelsea's 5-game winning streak as 10-man Nottingham Forest hold out for draw against Blues
The Nigerian full-back played all 90 minutes as Chelsea and Nottingham Forest settled for a draw
Mikel Obi on Chelsea's Robert Sanchez
Speaking on the ObiOne podcast, Mikel Obi said;
"No disrespect to Robert Sanchez, he’s a fantastic goalkeeper, but we need a top goalkeeper to compete for the Premier League.
"If he wants to become a top goalkeeper, he must start putting in those performances."
Graham Potter defends Chelsea's Sanchez amid criticism
However, Potter, who worked with Sanchez during his disappointing stint at Chelsea, thinks the keeper is an outstanding talent.
Speaking to the BBC, Potter praised Sanchez's impressive skills, saying:
"His high-end actions are world-class. He has got the power, the size, the agility, the speed, he just makes the goal look really, really small."
Potter also highlighted Sanchez's incredible reflexes, adding:
"He plucks things out of the air just effortlessly. So that doesn’t surprise me."
It's a timely vote of confidence for Sanchez, who's established himself as Chelsea's No. 1 goalkeeper under Enzo Maresca, ahead of summer signing Filip Jorgensen.