'He undermines Chelsea' - Gary Neville urges Xabi Alonso to replace Robert Sanchez after goalkeeper’s costly Fulham errors

Chelsea kicked off the Alonso era with a chaotic but ultimately successful 3-2 win against neighbours Fulham, yet the post-match discourse has been dominated by the shaky performance of Sanchez.

The Blues appeared to be in cruise control after Joao Pedro opened the scoring just 31 seconds into the match, but Sanchez’s inability to deal with a strike from Josh King gifted the Cottagers an equaliser that changed the momentum of the contest.

The performance drew sharp criticism from Sky Sports pundit Neville, who believes the 26-year-old is the weak link in an otherwise promising Chelsea spine. Analyzing the game at Craven Cottage, Neville expressed serious concerns about how the Spaniard's presence between the sticks affects the rest of the team's tactical discipline and confidence.

"For the first time in a while I really like the spine of Chelsea’s team," Neville said on Sky Sports before the game. "The goalkeeper could maybe be upgraded but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen."

However, following the high-profile blunders during the match, his tone shifted to one of significant concern regarding the long-term viability of Sanchez as the club's primary option. "Chelsea were in a really good shape, showing respect to Fulham. Xabi Alonso will be thinking, 'how have we conceded from here?'. We’ve got to be careful about criticising goalkeepers and any players really."

The former Manchester United defender went further, suggesting that the goalkeeper's inconsistencies could derail the entire project Alonso is building in West London. "It will undermine everything Chelsea do. It’s a problem for Chelsea and I don’t think if Emi Martinez is available, but they need someone like that," Neville added.

Alan Smith was equally unimpressed with the opening goal, stating: "Sanchez has got to stop it. You shouldn’t be scoring from there, he probably didn’t even expect to score from there. He’s looked nervous from the off. Dear oh dear. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea make a move for a new goalkeeper, this might nudge them in that direction because it’s a shocker from the Spaniard goalkeeper."

Alonso, who is the 27th manager to lead Chelsea in the Premier League, now faces a difficult decision regarding his selection for the upcoming fixtures. While the manager will be pleased with the output of his front three, the recurring nature of Sanchez's mistakes suggests that the position remains a vulnerability.

Despite the goalkeeping drama, Neville remains optimistic about Chelsea's overall trajectory under Alonso, even suggesting they could be the primary challengers to Arsenal this term.

"It’s a big ask. With the quality Arsenal have, the strength they have, the confidence… it will be a big ask to challenge Arsenal. But I think Chelsea, looking at the rest of [the contenders], and what Chelsea have done in this transfer window, I think they’re in a good place. They could push for second."

Chelsea’s immediate focus now shifts to cup competition, as they prepare to host League One outfit Luton Town in the EFL Cup on Thursday evening. This fixture could provide Alonso with an opportunity to rotate his squad or potentially look at alternative options in goal if the board chooses to accelerate their search for a new signing.