Online Reporter
CHELSEA keeper Robert Sanchez has broken his silence after being sent off against Manchester United.
The Spain international was shown red only five minutes into the game after wiping out Bryan Mbeumo.
Chelsea had to sacrifice Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian to bring on back-up stopper Filip Jorgensen and Tosin Adarabioyo.
Bruno Fernandes gave United the lead before Casemiro doubled it – only to get sent off just before the break.
Trevoh Chalobah pulled one back for the visitors but United held off to take all three points – with the finger pointed at Sanchez.
But speaking out on Instagram, he wrote: “On me today guys, big sorry for that, team put a massive effort on the second half but couldn’t get there.”
United moved up to tenth with just their second win of the season while Chelsea sit in sixth place – with a game over their rivals.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was captured looking head in hands after Sanchez’s horror foul – but once again backed his under-fire No1.
Asked if Sanchez should have let Mbeumo through on goal, Maresca said: “It’s the best solution.
“Because we are still 95 minutes to play, I think even Robert is aware of that, but also it’s difficult because he has to take a decision in one second or two seconds, so it’s difficult.
“But if you ask me, I prefer to be one man down after three minutes than one player down after three minutes.”
Chelsea’s scorer, Chalobah said: “Always difficult going to 10 men down. United were up for it and they put us under pressure.
“We have played in the Premier League long enough now so we just have to learn from this and move forward. Whether it is 10 men each, it is always difficult from 2-0 down. We need to reflect over not starting well and we need to raise our standards as a collective.”
Sanchez, however, will miss only ONE game – and that will be the midweek Lincoln clash in the Carabao Cup.
Chelsea return to league action against Brighton next Saturday at Stamford Bridge.
United meanwhile travel to Brentford after being dumped out of the cup by League Two Grimsby Town. Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said his side must match the level of urgency they showed against Chelsea on Saturday if they are to keep on winning.
Having tasted victory just once this season going into the game, on the back of their lowest top-flight league finish last term since they were relegated in 1973-74, the pressure was on Amorim ahead of Chelsea’s visit in the Premier League.
“Sometimes we have some moments that we feel an urgency to have a result,” Amorim said. “Today we won, it’s nice to win, but let’s not forget that return to that urgency in our game.
“We need to win the next game. That is the most important thing. In this big club it’s not a feeling that today is a really good game, let’s relax a little bit. Let’s keep that urgency. That is the most important feeling we have to take for the next week.”
Casemiro’s sending-off late in the first half gave the visitors a lifeline, with Trevoh Chalobah’s header ensuring a nervy finish at an expectant Old Trafford.
“We showed that when everything is going well, we arrange something to make it difficult,” Amorim said. “But we suffered together in the end. That was a good thing, if you look at the game we deserved to win.
“We were trying to do things a little bit too much, making a tackle that maybe we shouldn’t. It’s hard to say, because that is the pressure. I feel more pressure in some young guys sometimes.
“Maybe it’s because Casemiro cares. We score one and he has that tackle. Sometimes it’s not the pressure, they wanted too much in that moment.” -Sun/Reuters
derick.khumalo