CHELSEA 0-0 FULHAM: The Blues took on their local rivals at Stamford Bridge in desperate search of the kind of win that boss Graham Potter will hope kickstarts their season....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
After spending an astounding £323 million in January, Chelsea was handed their first chance to showcase their expensive new acquisition since the transfer window closed.
Graham Potter’s team welcomed Fulham to Stamford Bridge as they found themselves in the unusual situation of being positioned below their neighbors in the Premier League standings. Although the visitors may have benefited more from the scrappy game, the Cottagers actually got the better start of the two.
The team led by Marco Silva performed a fantastic job of neutralizing Chelsea’s attacking threat while maximizing their own advantages. The two continued to gauge each other’s strengths and weaknesses for an hour, with Chelsea failing to open the Fulham lock.
David Fofana of Chelsea had the finest opportunity of them all, but Tim Ream stopped his shot on the goal line after Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno became disoriented. Both teams missed opportunities as it finished in a 0-0 stalemate with no goals scored.
In their first encounter with a West London derby, five of Chelsea’s newcomers were evaluated by Mirror Football.
Fernandez, Enzo
Enzo Fernandez, who cost £105 million, received his first start for Chelsea just three days after coming when Potter wasted no time in giving him the opportunity.
Before the game began, all eyes were on the former Benfica star, especially since the World Cup champion Argentine was the most expensive player in Premier League history, a status that comes with a lot of pressure and expectation.
Early on, Fernandez demonstrated his capabilities as a deep-lying midfielder by seizing a loose ball and then delivering a precise pass into the path of the returning Reece James to launch a Chelsea attack—which, unfortunately, had no effect.
Although Fernandez is not the physically biggest midfielder, he made sure his presence was felt by appearing in areas of space to stop Fulham attacks before they even started.
When he won the ball back in the middle of the field, he played a tempting through ball into the path of Hakim Ziyech, who then missed wide with a shot from the Moroccan, demonstrating how his defensive prowess can be used as a springboard for attacks.
Fernandez nearly capped off a strong debut with a long-range effort that just missed Bernd Leno’s post. The strike was spectacular and almost sent the Bridge into wild celebrations.
Mudryk Mykhaylo
Given the nature of the Fernandez saga and Benfica’s resistance to letting the midfielder leave, Mykhaylo Mudryk’s arrival in West London now seems like a lifetime ago. However, the former Shakhtar Donetsk star was also given a first start.
Once more, his quick pace was on display, yet it would be dishonest to downplay some of his less refined technical skills. The German had little chance of actually controlling the through ball that the 22-year-old slammed in Kai Havertz’s direction.
Mudryk, who had the fewest touches of any Chelsea player after 36 minutes, spent the majority of the first half jogging toward his own goal while Fulham’s only successful offensive moves came down his flank.
The fact that Chelsea’s most expensive forward lasted the entire first half without making a shot on goal before being substituted at halftime does not speak highly of Mudryk.
Madueke Noni
Noni Madueke, who cost Chelsea £30 million after being acquired from PSV Eindhoven, received his first start after being substituted for the struggling Mudryk.
The teenage winger immediately demonstrated how, when in possession of the ball, his first thought is to move it forward and advance his team up the field.
Fortunately for Madueke, the Fulham full-back Antonee Robinson intercepted Conor Gallagher’s pass after the 20-year-old wide receiver from Barnet misread it. Fortunately for the visitors, the attack was fruitless.
Compared to Mudryk, whom he replaced, Madueke undoubtedly enjoyed the better 45-minute cameo.
François Badiashile
Benoit Badiashile, a central defender, wasn’t quite as prominently featured because he has already made three league appearances, but the young Frenchman shown his poise on the ball several times.
The former Monaco star did a good job, for the most part, of keeping Fulham star Aleksandar Mitrovic quiet.
During Sky Sports’ coverage, Gary Neville extolled the defender, saying he and teammate Thiago Silva were Chelsea’s greatest players in the first period.
Fofana, David
Late in the game, the young Ivorian was given just over 15 minutes of bench time to try and make a difference.
Within just two minutes, he came close to scoring the winning goal when Fofana grabbed a Gallagher pass, rounded a charging Leno, and left Issa Diop on the ground with an open goal.
Tim Ream of Fulham stopped the £10 million striker’s effort, keeping the ball out of the net.
The American’s outstanding defending prevented Fofana from making his desired Premier League debut.
