Robert Sanchez claims Chelsea have the best midfielder on the planet in ‘animal’ Moises Caicedo. The dynamic Ecuadorian proved to be the driving force in the Blues’ derby victory over Tottenham, making seven recoveries and also securing four interceptions, along with a crucial assist for Joao Pedro.
After Pedro’s goal in the first half gave Chelsea top points, goalkeeper Sanchez declared: “I don’t need to talk about him, but he’s a real animal. The best player on the planet in his position. He’s one of the best players in the world, but who’s better than him in his position? He’s a beast. 50-50, wins every challenge and is very calm on the ball.”
Sanchez also observes that while Caicedo has adapted to Premier League football, he remains the same reserved, soft-spoken person he was when they first met in a Brighton diner.
“I haven’t seen him change much. As a player and as a character, he’s always been the same: hard-working, hard-working, quiet, but a very nice guy.”
“Obviously, with age and experience, he’s getting fitter and better on the pitch. His confidence is growing more and more. He’s the boss in midfield.”
Only Arsenal have scored more Premier League goals from corners than Tottenham since the start of last season, but Sanchez commanded the penalty area, neutralizing Spurs’ set-piece dangers and securing vital clean sheets. The towering Spanish player is also gradually captivating fans.
He added, “It was fun. When you play for a huge club, one of the top teams in the world, there’s always pressure when the team or you don’t perform well.”
“Of course, being the last line of defense, you usually get blamed, even if it wasn’t your fault, but that’s the life I chose and that’s what I like and what I enjoy.
“My teammates, the manager and the club believe that I can continue to perform as well as I have.” My initial transition to Chelsea was difficult. I arrived in a hurry, had only three days of training with a new manager, a new team, and it was a bit of a struggle.
“I’ve been making adjustments, but around Christmas I had a serious knee injury that sidelined me for the rest of the season. Then I came back, got stronger, got a new manager and signed new players, so I had to start from scratch. I’m doing well now.”
Chelsea’s commanding performance, coupled with their 4-3 Carabao Cup victory over Wolves, was the perfect answer to last weekend’s shocking 2-1 defeat at home to Sunderland.
Sanchez claimed Enzo Maresca is excited about the return of the Club World Cup champions. Asked about his manager’s comments in the locker room after the game, the 27-year-old goalkeeper said: “He said it was great, we had an unbelievable reaction.
“He said that if you play like this every game, it will be pretty hard to lose a game: 50-50, challenges, set-pieces, helping everyone, creating chances.”
“We should have done better against Sunderland and learned from that. We struggled mentally this week, but at the same time we pushed hard today to get the three points.”
