Few people are as well placed to pass judgement on the quality that Caicedo brings to the team, as demonstrated by another brilliant performance in Saturday’s London derby win at Tottenham Hotspur, as Sanchez. The two have been playing together since the Ecuadorian first arrived in England with Brighton in 2021, before both moved to Chelsea two years later.
Our goalkeeper has seen his team-mate grow into one of the best midfielders in the world, as Enzo Maresca stated after the victory over Spurs, and that is a sentiment Sanchez agrees with.
‘He’s an actual animal! He’s the best player playing in his position anywhere,’ insisted the Spaniard. ‘Who’s better than him in that position?
‘He’s a beast. Every challenge, every 50-50, he wins it. His composure on the ball, his finishing…if he strikes it on target it goes in!
‘I knew him at Brighton when he wasn’t even playing at Brighton. I remember speaking to him at lunch about whether he was going to go on loan or not. He took his chance and since then he’s been flying, getting better and better. He’s still only 24.
‘He hasn’t changed much. As a character he’s always been the same, about hard work and effort, and quiet. A very good guy. Obviously he’s filled out a bit more with age, and with experience he’s got better and better on the pitch. His confidence has got higher and higher.’
However, Sanchez doesn’t want to pile all the praise on Caicedo. He was quick to point to the contributions of all the players who featured in midfield at Spurs, as well as one who was missing.
We began the game with Caicedo partnered in the centre by Reece James before our skipper returned to right-back after the introduction of Romeo Lavia from the bench, while Enzo Fernandez featured in a more advanced role.
According to Sanchez, it is the combination of all those players’ many talents which makes our midfield so formidable.
‘Winning balls from midfield in the last line is incredible, but it is not just about Moi, all the midfielders,' he said.
‘We started with Enzo, Moi, Reece – Romeo was bright when he came on, Cole [Palmer] hopefully comes back soon as well. What more could you ask? We’ve got the defending, we’ve got composure on the ball, we’ve got the attack, we’ve got everything.’
Sanchez was also delighted with his own contribution to the win at Spurs. Whilst the goalkeeper didn't have lots of saves to make, he was totally dominant in his box, claiming a host of dangerous deliveries and distributing the ball well.
He said: ‘I’m feeling good. When you play for one of the best teams in the world at a massive club you’re always going to be under pressure, being the last line of defence. But that’s the life I choose, that’s what I like and enjoy.
‘Personally, I am happy. I’ve got the confidence of the boys and the manager and the club to keep doing as good as I am doing.
‘At the end of the day, the important thing is the clean sheet and winning the game. There are rarely games we don’t score so we need to keep a clean sheet.’
With two more games to go before the November internationals, away at Qarabag in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday and back at the Bridge against Wolverhampton Wanderers next Saturday, another pair of shut-outs by Sanchez, Caicedo et al could help us carry plenty of momentum into the break.