Enzo Maresca didn’t hold back in his post-match comments after Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford, placing blame squarely on goalkeeper Robert Sánchez for a costly early red card. The Italian manager criticized Sánchez’s poor decision-making, which left the Blues a man down for nearly the entire match and forced tactical changes that couldn’t prevent a second consecutive Premier League loss.
First-Half Drama Defines the Match
The turning point came just minutes into the game when Sánchez rushed out of his box in an attempt to stop Bryan Mbeumo, who was chasing a flick-on from Benjamin Sesko. Instead of neutralizing the threat, the Chelsea shot-stopper collided recklessly with Mbeumo, prompting an immediate red card from the referee.
Speaking after the match, Maresca said he would have preferred conceding a goal to being reduced to ten men so early in the contest.
“It was better to let Mbeumo score than get the red card. We still had 95 minutes to play. Robert is aware of that now,” Maresca stated. “I’d rather be one goal down after five minutes than one player down.”
Pundits Weigh In on Sánchez’s Mistake
Sky Sports analyst Jamie Redknapp dissected the incident, labeling it a major error in judgment and execution from Sánchez.
“This is where it all goes wrong for the goalkeeper,” Redknapp explained. “The indecisiveness is the key mistake. He steps back at first, and then comes out too late. It’s a really bad piece of goalkeeping. He made a right hash of it. No doubt it’s a red card.”
The red card left Chelsea scrambling to reorganize, with emergency substitutions changing the complexion of Maresca’s game plan.
Tactical Changes Spark Debate
In response to the red card, Maresca made swift and controversial adjustments. Estevao was withdrawn to bring on substitute goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, while Pedro Neto made way for defender Tosin Adarabioyo. Later, Cole Palmer was also forced off due to a minor injury, replaced by Andrey Santos.
Maresca defended his decisions post-match, explaining that the changes were necessary due to the numerical disadvantage.
“They attack with five players, and we usually defend with four when it’s 11 vs 11. But down to 10 men, we needed to switch to a back five,” he said. “That’s why we made those substitutions.”
Late Sub Plans Disrupted
Alejandro Garnacho was reportedly set to come on late in the game to face his former club, but a last-minute tweak saw Tyrique Mitchell enter instead.
“Garna was ready to come in, but Wes [Fofana] requested a substitution due to fatigue,” Maresca revealed. “So we went with Tyrique instead. The plan was to give Garnacho some minutes, but the situation changed.”
Chelsea Under Pressure After Another Setback
The defeat adds more strain to Maresca’s early tenure at Stamford Bridge, especially with criticism mounting over his in-game decisions and substitution choices. Meanwhile, the win provided some much-needed relief for United’s manager Ruben Amorim, whose own position has come under scrutiny in recent weeks.
