(Credit: Imago)

Jonathan Burnett

Mon 18 August 2025 8:43, UK

Robert Sanchez didn’t get the benefit of the doubt from Chelsea fans after they held Crystal Palace to a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.

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Enzo Maresca‘s side opened their 2025–26 Premier League account with a goalless draw as Chelsea and Palace cancelled each other out in West London, despite the hosts dominating for large periods.

Chelsea had 19 shots to Crystal Palace‘s 11 and produced 1.60 xG without finding the net, as new signings Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens both started to make their Premier League debuts for the Blues.

Liam Delap, Estevao and Andrey Santos came off the bench for their first league appearances in Chelsea colours, but one player’s performance raised questions over whether another new signing is needed in a key position.

Chelsea sported a unique shirt badge ahainst Palace after winning the Club World Cup (Credit: Imago)

Palace may have had less of the ball and less of the shots at Stamford Bridge, but they were the only side to find the back of the net after Eberechi Eze‘s 13th minute free-kick beat the wall and Sanchez.

VAR was called into action after Palace had taken that 1-0 lead, and after an infringement in the wall from Marc Guehi on Moises Caicedo was picked up, the goal was ruled out to spare Sanchez’s blushes.

Keith Hackett told Football Insider that referee Darren England could have prevented the controversy by managing Chelsea’s wall better from the very start, but Eze’s strike caught Sanchez out regardless.

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Sanchez was at the centre of further controversy when replays picked up a potential punch to the back of Eze’s head in the box following a Palace corner late in the first half, but this incident went unpunished.

Eberechi Eze’s potential winner was ruled out by VAR (Credit: Imago)

Sanchez’s performances in Chelsea’s Club World Cup success were praised on the whole but still saw criticism emerge from John Obi Mikel on punditry duty, and the negative discourse has soon returned.

Chelsea have sold Kepa Arrizabalaga and Djordje Petrovic to Arsenal and Bournemouth respectively this summer, but fans on social media couldn’t understand why an upgrade hasn’t been found for Sanchez.

The 27-year-old was labelled as a “liability” for a Chelsea side looking to mount a Premier League title charge this season, with the “horrific management” of the Blues’ goalkeeping stocks also being brought into questions.

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