The ease with which Chelsea had brushed aside their first three Conference League group stage opponents had not been of much use to Filip Jorgensen in his quest to usurp Robert Sanchez as the Blues's No1.
Signed from Villarreal for around £20million last summer, in different circumstances Jorgensen may before now have been putting genuine pressure on Sanchez’s shirt amid the Spaniard’s prolonged run of shaky Premier League form.
An 8-0 thrashing of FC Noah earlier this month, though, was not exactly the dream showcase: even with the Armenian minnows managing seven shots on target, Jorgensen could have allowed every one in without it affecting the result. It was a bit like trying to prove you could’ve led the English into Agincourt by beating some 12-year-olds on Call of Duty.
Thursday night’s meeting with Heidenheim, however, was different. The Bundesliga side presented easily Chelsea’s stiffest examination in the competition yet and were well in the contest until Mykhailo Mudryk’s clinching second goal four minutes from time.
A 2-0 triumph saw Jorgensen emerge with only the Blues’s sixth clean sheet of the season, of which he has four. He had to work hard for it, too, making 11 saves, one more than in the three previous games combined.
According to the statistics, the 22-year-old kept out at least two ‘expected goals’ and they were easy enough to pinpoint either side of half-time.
The first was a superb one-handed stop to deny Paul Wanner, the 18-year-old on loan from Bayern Munich, who gave a glimpse of his much-touted talent. The second was an even better double-save, first a block from the same player and then a sharp response to keep out the rebound.
“When I saw he got through I tried to go out a bit and make the goal a bit smaller, make me bigger,” he explained afterwards. Textbook, logical stuff, but in contrast with Sanchez, whose decision-making in when to come off his line has been an obvious flaw this season, playing a part in goals that cost Chelsea points at Old Trafford and Anfield.
Chelsea’s hierarchy insist they retain full belief in Sanchez and that there will be no January move for a new goalkeeper.
Ahead of Sunday’s league meeting with Aston Villa, though, the calls for a switch in the internal pecking order are growing louder. Maresca cannot simply bow to the masses, of course, but fan confidence is playing a part in Sanchez’s struggle, with a tangible sense of distrust around Stamford Bridge whenever the 27-year-old is on the ball. One can only hope his defenders do not feel the same, but Sanchez is not a man who exactly exudes calm.
Sanchez, remember, was the victim of a midseason change last term, when injury opened the door to Djordje Petrovic, who remained Mauricio Pochettino’s first-choice throughout the rest of the campaign. That history feels ripe for repetition now.
