Chelsea now have the best front line in the Premier League – but it won’t be enough for a title challenge

The main reason that Chelsea looked so frail was the continued presence of Robert Sanchez between the sticks. The Spaniard has been their No.1 goalkeeper for the best part of three seasons now, despite the many obvious flaws in his game, and Alonso will pay the price if he continues to back him.

Josh King’s near post strike that brought Fulham back to 1-1 should have been pushed away easily by Sanchez, but he got his positioning all wrong and could only help the ball on its way into the net. He was also at fault for Gonzalo Garcia’s 54th minute goal, palming a shot from Timothy Castagne straight into his compatriot’s path, and got extremely lucky late on when United States star Antonee Robinson volleyed wide after the ‘keeper was caught in no man’s land by a long ball forward.

“We need to accept and learn from them [the mistakes],” Alonso said after the game. “This is going to be a process. All the lines, from the strikers, the midfielders, the defence, the goalkeepers, we want to do better in everything.” If Sanchez hasn’t learned by now, he never will.

Alonso’s tactics leave Sanchez more exposed, too. While ex-Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca favoured a possession-heavy approach, Alonso aims to overwhelm the opposition in the transitional phase. Fulham had more of the ball, and there was a basketball feel to the game at times that put Sanchez in the spotlight too often.

Incredibly, the latest reports indicate that Chelsea have no plans to sign another goalkeeper, with 21-year-old Mike Penders currently serving as Sanchez’s back-up. That is a huge mistake, as Liverpool hero Jamie Carragher correctly observed while on punditry duty for Sky Sports, saying: “Chelsea will never win the league with Sanchez in goal – impossible, it can’t happen.”