Chelsea 0-0 Fulham: 3 talking points from lacklustre draw at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea hosted high flying Fulham, at Stamford Bridge, in what would be considered as two points dropped for the blues. CFC are slowly losing sight on the top four spots in order to qualify for next year’s edition of the Champions League.

Despite the heavy January spending spree, Chelsea still look lost in the final third, yet again with players such as Mason Mount, Hakim Ziyech, and Kai Havertz not in the finest of forms. Here are the three talking points of tonight’s only Friday Premier League fixture:

3 talking points from Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

Hakim Ziyech starts directly after his failed loan move to PSG

On deadline day, The Moroccan was in Paris ahead of his supposed loan move to the Parisiens. This was during the mist of newly Chelsea debutant, Enzo Fernandez’s transfer being finalized.  The loan move that Ziyech wanted to go through didn’t occur which upset both him and the French club.

PSG accused Chelsea of purposely sending the wrong documentation not once, not twice, but three times, thus sabotaging the loan move. After all of this going down, you wouldn’t expect Ziyech to be thrown into the starting lineup straight away.

Mykhailo Mudryk subbed off at half time

In his first Premier League start, the Ukrainian didn’t exactly have an electrifying game. We expected him to pick up from what he started during his cameo against Liverpool two weeks ago. In all fairness, he wasn’t given the ball as much as he did at Anfield due to the blues, predominately playing down the right on Ziyech’s side for the most of the first half.

What also didn’t help was how high up and too far left Mason Mount was playing, thus leaving Mudryk no choice but to sit deeper and starved out of chances. I was expecting a better second half from Mudryk, but to everyone’s surprise, we didn’t get to see that, as he was taken out of the derby. Did he pick up a knock? Was it a tactical switch? Chelsea gaffer, Graham Potter, announced his decision in his post-match conference. He stated that the Ukrainian was suffering from a “really heavy cold.”

Enzo Fernandez impresses

Just wow. The only bright spot in the blue’s midfield. The Premier League, and Chelsea record signing certainly lived up to his hype, despite not collecting the much needed three point. His vision, his defensive awareness, he was flawless for me.

He also has a shot in him which we don’t often see from former CFC midfielder, and #5, Jorginho. With a really good defensive partner, or someone that can dictate the tempo next to the Argentine, Chelsea fans have something encouraging to look forward to.

What to look forward

This is the third, and final match of Joao Felix’s three game suspension, after he picked up a straight red against none other than fellow neighbors, Fulham, last month. The Portuguese Chelsea loanee will be set to return for the blues as they take on West Ham, at the London Stadium, in yet another London derby next weekend.

Will CFC win in their next game against West Ham?