Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has urged goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to "relax and carry on" after a difficult start to the Premier League season. Sanchez conceded two goals in Chelsea's opening match against Fulham, prompting discussion about the team's goalkeeping situation.
Alonso stated that the errors were a team issue, not solely the responsibility of the goalkeeper. "It's about the team, it's not about the individual," Alonso said. "The first goal, we can do better to defend, we can do better to avoid, but it's part of the game. We need to accept and to learn. This is going to be a process. All the lines, from the strikers, the midfielders, the defence, the goalkeepers, we want to do better in everything."
During the match, Sanchez allowed a shot from Fulham's Josh King to go past him and later parried another shot, leading to a rebound goal for Fulham's Gonzalo Garcia. Towards the end of the game, Sanchez was fortunate that Fulham's Antonee Robinson missed an opportunity to equalize after Sanchez had come out of his goal.
Despite Sanchez's performance, Chelsea secured a victory against Fulham, with goals from Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers, and Cole Palmer. Chelsea's management has expressed confidence in their goalkeeping setup, with Sanchez as the primary choice and 21-year-old Mike Penders as his understudy.
Alonso also commented on the speculation surrounding midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who was introduced as a second-half substitute. "In football, I am not surprised by anything," Alonso remarked. "We will see. My wish is that we know what will happen for the future, but we will see this week."
Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa acknowledged that his team conceded goals at poor times and needs to improve. "We conceded goals in the first minute, at the end of the first half and at the beginning of the second half. There are not worse moments to concede," Arbeloa said. "But we showed character and personality and I am very proud of how my players responded. We deserved a little more but football is not about what you deserve, it is about what you take. For me, they are easy goals for them and mistakes we cannot make. We need to improve and be more ready in the first minute, that is sure."