Sanchez’s Chelsea errors, Khannouss’ Leicester impact, and Huijsen’s brilliance

When Chelsea were on a run of eight consecutive wins last month, there was still a nagging suspicion that they were lacking in key areas and that it could cost them. The best teams have a top-class striker and a top-class goalkeeper, so the theory goes.

Well, Nicolas Jackson has not scored since that winning run and is now without a goal in his last seven appearances. Meanwhile, Robert Sanchez's error-strewn performances continue. After a mistake against Wolves came another away to Manchester City.

Sanchez has long had his critics within the Stamford Bridge crowd, although some of the underlying numbers are more generous to the Spain international than the eye test. The expected-goals data even suggests that he saves more than he should.

Of the 21 Premier League goalkeepers to have made 10 or more appearances in the competition this season, Sanchez ranks among the top half, a better shot-stopper than Liverpool's Alisson Becker and Arsenal's David Raya, according to this particular metric.

The flaw in this data is that in a number of instances it is Sanchez himself who is the one responsible for inflating the number of goals that he is expected to concede - and the mistakes that he has made during the past week have illustrated that perfectly.

On Monday night, most goalkeepers would have punched the ball clear. Sanchez dropped it at the feet of Matt Doherty. Nobody is suggesting that he should have kept out Doherty's subsequent shot. The issue is that the shot should not have happened.

On Saturday evening, Erling Haaland's mind was made up for him by Sanchez's positioning, giving the City striker the relatively straightforward task of lifting it over him. It is difficult to imagine Alisson, for example, making such a positional miscalculation.

Sanchez has now made five errors leading to goals this season, the joint-most of any player in the Premier League this season alongside Arijanet Muric. The Ipswich goalkeeper paid the price by losing his place. Sanchez may now face the same fate.

"For sure, he is completely aware that he has to do better," said Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca afterwards. "He was completely aware after the game. He knows perfectly. The good thing is that he is the first one to know that he has to do better.

"We trust Robert for sure but in the same moment, as I have said, the first one who is aware that he is making mistakes is Robert. We continue to trust Robert but we have one entire week, we see the reaction and we decide for the next games."

El Khannouss key

When Ruud van Nistelrooy substituted Bilal El Khannouss with his team behind against Fulham last weekend, the Leicester boss was subjected to chants from the home support questioning his decision. He was a little prickly about it after the game.

"Because the crowd [does not want] a substitution, it does not mean I have to explain all the reasons behind the substitution. The players who come on...they deserve minutes to help this team as well. It is not about one person in this team, in this squad."

El Khannouss' winning goal for Leicester against Tottenham on Sunday will have felt like vindication for Van Nistelrooy - and his critics. This team might not be about one person but the summer signing from Genk has been a stand-out performer for the Foxes.

In this win, one that ended a run of seven defeats, the Moroccan won possession of the ball more times than any other player on the pitch and completed more dribbles than anyone in a Spurs shirt too - providing the creativity that the opposition lacked.

And, of course, El Khannouss scored the decisive goal. He did so despite not having a single touch inside the Tottenham penalty area. He did not need to enter the 18-yard box to curl the ball around the diving Antonin Kinsky and into the bottom corner.

With Abdul Fatawu out long term, there is a huge responsibility on El Khannouss to provide the spark. Whether it will be enough is unclear but this goal took Leicester out of the relegation zone. At 20, his future is surely in the Premier League regardless.

Huijsen has it all

Another young player impressing in the Premier League is Dean Huijsen, although the defender is having a rather more serene time of things at high-flying Bournemouth. The teenager was excellent again in his side's remarkable 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

It was a day for the Cherries' attackers but what the precocious Huijsen brings to Andoni Iraola's high-tempo team is a bit of calm. Of the nine players on the pitch to attempt 30 passes in the game, he was the one with by far the best success rate at 89.2 per cent.

Sixteen of his passes were into the final third, more than any other Bournemouth player, and what is particularly interesting about Huijsen's game is that those passes were fairly simple because his ball-carrying ability often helps get him high up the pitch.

He carried the ball a total of 298 metres against Forest, with the second-longest average carry distance of any Premier League player at the weekend behind only winger Anthony Gordon. Alongside Illia Zabarnyi, it adds another dimension to Bournemouth's play.

At 6ft 5in, this is a defender who might have it all. Dutch-born, Huijsen says he feels more Spanish and credits his positional skills to honing his craft in Italy. Defenders are not built in labs but if they were then his blend of characteristics would be a good start.