Enzo Maresca defended Robert Sanchez after the Chelsea goalkeeper's latest mistake on Monday night, insisting the £25million man saves them more points than he costs.
Sánchez fumbled what should have been a routine catch for Matt Doherty to equalize from a corner. Chelsea still won 3-1 when Marc Cucurella and Noni Madueke scored, with Maresca saying afterwards: 'Fourth mistake leading to a goal? And how many times has he saved us? I think more than four.
'No problem. Mistakes happen to him, the attackers, central defenders, no problem. Robert is doing well. It (the check) is part of our job if you make mistakes. Robert has saved us many times. It happens, no problem.'
However, the Chelsea boss was less generous when it came to Madueke – despite the winger's goal.
Maresca called for an 'immediate' improvement from Madueke, calling him out for what he deemed a drop-off from the England international after heading his team's third goal in the 65th minute.
It was the second time this season that Madueke has been publicly berated for his work rate.
He was dropped from the squad for December's win over Aston Villa, with the boss questioning his attitude in training.
“He can improve in the final third, but he probably stopped playing after he scored the goal. This is something we need to improve immediately,” said Maresca, whose team climbed back into the Premier League's top four with a first win since December 15.
'Never happy when you score one or two, you always have to go for more. After he scored the goal, he stopped playing a little bit and that is something we need to improve.
“We're just always trying to help them improve. After the goal he was probably a bit tired, but this is the moment we have to go for more.'
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