Chelsea’s trip to Old Trafford on Saturday turned into a nightmare start as goalkeeper Robert Sánchez was sent off just four minutes into their clash with Manchester United. The Spaniard’s dismissal left the Blues a man down almost immediately, sparking furious reactions from the travelling support and online fanbase.
Sánchez was shown a straight red after racing out of his box and clattering into Bryan Mbeumo with a reckless challenge. His misjudged attempt to deal with a long ball left referee with little choice but to dismiss him.
As the rain poured at Old Trafford, United capitalised on their advantage, with Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro both finding the net to give the Red Devil a commanding lead which eventually led to a 2-1 victory over the visitors.
The incident forced manager Enzo Maresca into early tactical reshuffles. First, Brazilian prodigy Estevão was sacrificed for substitute goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen. Minutes later, Maresca opted for another change withdrawing winger Pedro Neto for defender Tosin Adarabioyo.
The decisions were met with widespread frustration from fans, who felt Chelsea abandoned attacking intent far too early. Social media erupted in anger, with many supporters calling for Sánchez to be dropped after yet another costly mistake. Chelsea fans reacted with fury to the situation as captured by Softfootball on X.
User, @Lesliekateregga was among the most vocal he commented:
We really need to let go of Sánchez. Now he is off with a red card.
Another fan @FirstNameNasir criticised the keeper’s judgment saying:
Sánchez is braindead how do you decide it’s worth getting a red five minutes in.
@GarethI5 summed up the mood, insisting the game was still salvageable had the Blues kept 11 men on the pitch, he commented:
Let’s be straight all round,after 5 mins 1-0 down would have been totally possible to pull back if you have 11 players ,sorry but,for me Sanchez made a huge mistake in doing that,we’ve 10 men for 85 mins,don’t care who the opposition is.
Meanwhile, @leonardnoch labelled the dismissal unforgivable:
“Sánchez red card after 5 minutes is UNFORGIVABLE.
@johnsonj005 wants the club to sign a new goalkeeper as he deemed Sanchez not good enogh, he commented:
How many frickin times are we gonna do this with him!!!!! I don’t understand! Get a new goal keeper.
@KM286991832 took aim at the team’s recurring defensive issues. He commented:
Same mistakes same problem. Back 4 and GK one of them has to make a bad start each time. Consistent pattern. when are we going to understand to have a GK and CBs with some experience and world class.
Frustrations over Chelsea’s defensive frailties did not stop at Robert Sánchez. Supporters were equally critical of the backline, with particular anger aimed at Wesley Fofana’s performance. @BaylozOfficial wrote:
Sanchez will always be Sanchez-Horrendous, Fofana should leave-switched off when Chalobah went to contest the aerial ball against Sesko, also didn’t contest the ball that led to second goal. Chalobah is good enough as a squad player. Chelsea has no defence-Average at best.
Some Chelsea fans turned their frustrations away from the players and aimed directly at the management. Pointing to long-standing issues between the posts, @EnemiKaribo2 commented:
I blame Maresca and the board for not prioritising a top goalkeeper.
For Maresca, the evening offered more questions than answers. Chelsea’s lack of discipline and composure left supporters disillusioned, while the coach’s substitutions only added to the discontent. The result saw the Blues miss a chance to close the gap on the league’s top four, with fans now demanding accountability from both Sánchez and the manager.
With pressure mounting, the focus quickly shifts to Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea will hope to respond and restore faith after a chaotic and costly afternoon in Manchester.
It’s a good write up. Keep it up