Fulham dent Chelsea's top four hopes after goalless draw

Fulham holds Chelsea to 0-0 draw, dents top four hopes at Stamford Bridge. Enzo Fernandes makes debut in goalless encounter

Noni Madueke marshalled by the impressive Kenny Tete for Fulham in Chelsea's premier league encounter against Fulham on Friday night. It ended goalless. (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

Chelsea started five of their winter window signings against Fulham on Friday night and to put it in context, Enzo Fernandez costs a lot more than the entire Fulham eleven and could only settle for a goalless draw.

Fulham’s intent was quite clear, to compete and give Chelsea a great run and boy.

The visitors did that to perfection and even looked more dangerous in the opposition area and Arsenal fans that saw the game must ask which Willian Chelsea packaged for them.

Mhkalo Mudryk was a little anonymous throughout the first half, a shadow of his sensational second half appearance against Liverpool.

You would think as there was no James Milner to skin alive, it was a hard evening for the new boy and he was surprisingly yanked off at halftime for another new signing.

It was the visitors that looked the likelier to score in the first half but both sides didn’t have so much clear-cut chances. 

The midfield of Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher and Fernandez struggled to keep things together but you may want to understand it will take time for the team to sink into Graham Potter’s style.

Datro Fofana and halftime substitute Noni Madueke combined very well in the second half and the former rounded Bernd Leno, cut inside Issa Diop but Kenny Tete cleared on the line to keep the game goalless.

Aleksander Mitrovic’s ambitious 45yard effort was saved on the line by Kepa.

"What we need to do now is gel the team," Potter added. "That's the challenge, that's what we have to do. There's still more football to play, but at the same time I don't want to worry about what we're going to do in four, five months' time. I need to focus on the next day, the training session and the next game."

Potter was quick to praise Fernandes and he won’t be drawn into the jibes from Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp over the huge money spent and instead, he would worry about keeping his players happy and firing.

"Very good, considering he's been in the country not very long," Potter told Sky Sports about Enzo Fernandes. "He doesn't know us, we don't know him so well but I think you can see flashes of his quality and personality. He'll get better and better."

Chelsea now sits twenty odd points off Arsenal on the log and the Gunners have played tow games less than the Blues. 

Potter believes his Chelsea side can squeeze into the top four conversations but ultimately agrees the title race will wait till next season for Chelsea.