MU legend directly points out the culprit behind Chelsea's defeat to Arsenal

Gary Neville did not hold back in criticizing goalkeeper Robert Sanchez's display following Chelsea's 1-2 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League in the early hours of February 3rd, a result that dealt a heavy blow to The Blues' Champions League aspirations.

At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal took the lead midway through the first half thanks to a William Saliba header from a corner kick – a familiar script for the North London side. Chelsea responded just before halftime by capitalizing on a corner of their own, forcing Piero Hincapie into an own goal.

However, the turning point of the match came early in the second half. From another corner taken by Declan Rice, the ball caused chaos in the Chelsea penalty area, and Jurrien Timber easily headed into an empty net after Sanchez misjudged the ball's trajectory.

Sanchez immediately protested, claiming a foul, but referee Darren England did not award it, and VAR agreed with the on-field decision. Not long after, Chelsea's situation worsened when Pedro Neto – who had already received a yellow card for dissent – was sent off following a foul on Gabriel Martinelli.

Although Liam Delap put the ball in the net during stoppage time, the goal was disallowed because Joao Pedro was offside in the build-up. Arsenal thereby secured the victory, extending their lead at the top to five points. Conversely, Chelsea dropped to 6th place and are now six points behind the Champions League spots.

Commentating on Sky Sports, Neville expressed particular disappointment with Sanchez: “Robert Sanchez was very chaotic; in my opinion, he complained unnecessarily. Look at that situation again, there was no chance it was a foul.”

“It was a terrible attempt to claim the ball. He misread its flight. It was genuinely a poor day for Sanchez, both in aerial duels and in his distribution on the ground,” Neville added. “I think deep down he knows he wasn't fouled. He was just trying to create something because he misjudged the ball's path. Up until that point, Chelsea weren't playing badly, but that conceded goal completely changed the game.”.

Neville also praised Arsenal for their crucial victory: “They found a way to win. It's not easy playing after and under the pressure of Man City having already won earlier. But they got through it. This is a great day for Arsenal.”

Arsenal will continue their title pursuit by hosting Brighton midweek, while Chelsea are forced to search for a winning feeling when they visit Aston Villa, following a run of three consecutive matches without a victory. The Blues now trail the top four, occupied by MU, by six points.