Xabi Alonso defends Robert Sanchez after Chelsea warned goalkeeping errors will ‘haunt’ title charge | OneFootball

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso defended goalkeeper Robert Sanchez after two errors in the Blues’ Premier League win over Fulham.

The Alonso era began with an all-out attacking display and excellent performances from the front three of Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and £117m summer signing Morgan Rogers, who all got on the scoresheet at Craven Cottage.

But Chelsea were also exposed defensively and Sanchez was twice punished for mistakes as Fulham fought back.

Josh King fired home an equaliser after Pedro’s opener, with his tightly-angled shot inexplicably getting past Sanchez, before the Spaniard spilled Timothy Castagne’s shot in the second half and parried it straight into the path of Gonzalo Garcia, who did not hesitate to knock in the rebound. Chelsea clung on to win 3-2 but Sanchez’s nervy performance at the back was cause for concern.

But Alonso refused to criticise him, saying afterwards: “It's not about talking about individuals, their situations. It's about understanding what it takes.

“For sure, the first goal we can do better than that. But it's a process. It's day one. And normally it's easier to learn with three points.”

He added: “To win games away you need to roll up you sleeves, fight and defend your goal and it's something we need to do for the future. It's a good first day for us."

But Jamie Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports, said Chelsea had “concerns defensively”.

He said: “They conceded a couple of goals and you look at the goalkeeper, they have to sort the goalkeeper issue out because it's going to come back to haunt them this season, as it did tonight.

“We're not saying anything we haven't said for the past three seasons. Chelsea will never win the league with Sanchez in goal - impossible, it can't happen.

“When you think of the teams who have won the title, the last three have all changed their goalkeeper; Pep brings Ederson in, Alisson comes in for Liverpool and Arsenal don't win the league if they have Ramsdale in goal and not Raya. Impossible.”

Gary Neville added: “I don't know if Emi Martinez is available or not but someone like that needs to come in at Chelsea, because that [the goalkeeper situation] will undermine everything they do. The positives for Fulham came from the encouragement Sanchez gave them with the goals. The goals were both mistakes. It's a problem.

“You cannot take a chance with a goalkeeper. I said before, it's the most difficult position on the pitch. It's the one that carries the most scrutiny. It's the one that if you have got a goalkeeper that's making mistakes and he's anxious, it will undermine everything that you're trying to do.

“And I think in the next seven or eight days, Alonso may have to just make a decision that he needs to bring in an experienced goalkeeper, because his job is to be successful for Chelsea.”