Djordje Petrovic might just be the goalkeeper Chelsea needed all along

Chelsea’s goalkeeper struggles following Thibaut Courtois’ 2018 move to Real Madrid are no secret. The Blues scrambled to secure the Belgian’s replacement, eventually paying a world-record fee for a goalkeeper to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga. Kepa never fully established himself as the long-term solution at Stamford Bridge and, as fate would have it, he too left for Madrid, albeit on loan, last summer to provide cover for the injured Courtois.

Édouard Mendy has come and gone and, combined with Kepa’s return to Spain, that left Robert Sánchez as first choice for the Blues this season. Sánchez was initially signed as back-up, yet was thrust into the limelight having joined from Brighton six months ago in the wake of Kepa’s Real Madrid switch and Mendy’s departure for Al-Ahli.

The 26-year-old, who had lost his place in Brighton’s starting line-up under Roberto De Zerbi, has hardly convinced during his time in the capital. Nevertheless Mauricio Pochettino’s hand was forced and he installed Sánchez as No 1, though already that is up for debate. Sánchez sustained a knee problem in the 2-1 defeat at Manchester United last month and, while he was cleared to play four days later, the Spain international was forced off late on in the 2-0 loss at Everton.

Whereas it would be a blow for any side to lose their first-choice goalkeeper, for Chelsea it could well prove a blessing. In Sánchez’s place came Djordje Petrovic and the 24-year-old has not looked out of place between the sticks for Pochettino’s side. “He looks like the answer because they’ve really struggled for goalkeepers in recent years,” Peter Crouch said of Petrovic after his performance in Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Fulham at the weekend, a game in which the former New England Revolution man made four saves on his way to a second Premier League clean sheet of his career.

There was little fanfare when Petrovic made the move to Chelsea in August. Amid a summer in which Chelsea spent big to sign Moisés Caicedo, Roméo Lavia, Christopher Nkunku and Cole Palmer, to name but four, the shot-stopper’s addition sneaked under the radar. While the idea was perhaps for Petrovic to play second fiddle to Sánchez with a view to a short-term move where Chelsea would then make a profit on a potential sale down the line, the Serb has left Pochettino with a decision to make.

Sánchez is expected to return to action later this month but he may find it difficult to reclaim his starting spot. Indeed, Petrovic’s save success rate of 73.9% ranks third among goalkeepers to have made at least five Premier League appearances this season, that return coming from an average of 3.4 saves per 90 minutes. By comparison, Sánchez has returned a save success rate of 67.1% from 3.3 saves per 90. There is a big enough gap in that success rate to suggest Petrovic deserves to retain his spot in the side.

Robert Sánchez gathers a cross at Fulham in October – his shot-stopping has not been as impressive as Djordje Petrovic’s. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

With the number of goals conceded per 90 dropping to 1.18 with Petrovic starting, from 1.57 with Sánchez featuring from the outset, there is an even more compelling argument to be made that the former deserves to retain his spot at the latter’s expense. After all, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? However, in terms of distribution, Sánchez perhaps has the upper hand – or should we say foot – on his teammate.

Chelsea are a side that see plenty of the ball, with a 59.5% possession return ranking sixth in the Premier League this season. They need a goalkeeper to effectively act as an 11th outfielder in order to maintain their dominance over opponents. The difference in the number of passes and accurate long balls per 90 between the two goalkeepers is negligible. The real variation comes in the accuracy.

Sánchez’s 79.6% pass accuracy ranks sixth among goalkeepers in the Premier League this season, and is a better return than Petrovic’s (75.3%). Chelsea are able to retain possession better when Sánchez starts between the sticks, while they have greater success in getting the ball upfield quicker, as noted by the former Brighton man’s long ball success rate (46.2%) compared to when Petrovic (40.9%) features.

This could be attributed to Sánchez having spent more time on the pitch than his fellow goalkeeper, thus becoming more accustomed to his outfield teammates. For Petrovic to have rapidly got up to speed with the style of play of the side and to be putting up almost similar numbers to Sánchez speaks volumes of the speed with which he has adjusted to Pochettino’s demands.

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Factor in the hectic festive period, with little time on the training pitch, and Petrovic’s rise is all the more notable, given his age and position – Petrovic’s career is still in its infancy. Sánchez may be the more experienced of the pair, yet it is impossible to overlook the Serbia international’s impact in his absence.

If Petrovic’s early performances are anything to go by, then, by chance, Chelsea may have rectified their longstanding goalkeeper issues.

Photograph: WhoScored