Chelsea can't purchase a objective in Fulham stalemate

Chelsea supervisor Graham Potter pleaded for time to gel his costly assortment of recent stars after the Blues have been held 0-0 at residence by Fulham on Friday.

Enzo Fernandez made his Chelsea debut after changing into the costliest participant in British football historical past with a £107 million transfer ($132 million) from Benfica on switch deadline day.

Mykhailo Mudryk was additionally given his Stamford Bridge bow, whereas Noni Madueke and David Datro Fofana got here off the bench for his or her Premier League debuts.

Chelsea’s report funding of over £300 million within the January window took the entire spend on gamers of their first season below new possession to over half a billion.

Co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have been in attendance, however is not going to have been impressed as one other probability to shut on the highest 4 slipped by.

Potter’s males sit ninth within the desk, nonetheless 9 factors adrift of the Champions League locations.

“New gamers are adapting to a brand new nation and a brand new league. It is not simple. When the value tag is what it’s questions might be requested, it is the character of the enterprise,” mentioned Potter.

“The choice we took within the window you may see the profile when it comes to age. We really feel we now have a really robust group of gamers. We’ve got to gel and change into a very good staff. That is the place the work is.”

Fulham had secured a primary victory within the west London derby since 2006 when the groups met simply three weeks in the past.

Marco Silva’s males sit two factors and three locations above their native rivals within the desk of their first season again within the high flight.

– Havertz’s hat-trick of misses –

Fulham have been in search of a primary ever league double over Chelsea and got here near reaching it as Andreas Pereira compelled Kepa Arrizabalaga right into a flying save low to his proper.

For the large sums spent by Chelsea’s new homeowners, their lack of a scientific goalscorer was uncovered as soon as extra.

Kai Havertz had a hat-trick of massive probabilities to interrupt the impasse earlier than half-time.

The German worldwide didn’t get sufficient contact on Thiago Silva’s good go to divert the ball past Bernd Leno.

Havertz then couldn’t stretch to show Mason Mount’s harmful cross heading in the right direction.

However his greatest opening got here when he hit the put up with a lob over Leno from Hakim Ziyech’s defence-splitting go.

Ziyech would have been a Paris Saint-Germain participant this week had Chelsea not submitted the flawed paperwork within the minutes earlier than Tuesday’s switch deadline.

The Moroccan is only one of a wealth of large choices now accessible to Potter and he wasted no time in hooking Mudryk regardless of his price ticket after a disappointing first 45 minutes.

The Ukrainian joined from Shakhtar Donetsk final month for a price that would rise to 100 million euros ($110 million).

Madueke was launched in his place and Potter additionally threw on Raheem Sterling from the bench on the hour mark within the seek for a winner.

Fernandez was inches away from the proper debut because the Argentine World Cup winner flashed a shot large from distance 20 minutes from time.

Connor Gallagher got here even nearer as he hit the side-netting from the sting of the field.

However one of the best probability fell to Fofana because the Ivorian rounded the stranded Leno, however didn’t beat the protecting Tim Ream on the road.

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