Chelsea 0-0 Fulham: Enzo Fernandez and Noni Madueke make debuts but Graham Potter’s side are held

Money can do a lot but does not guarantee Premier League victories.

The hope after the conclusion of their spectacular January spree, that frustrating nights like this would be a thing of the past and a Chelsea charge up the table would begin.

That was not to be on their first post-window outing despite Chelsea having far more to throw at Fulham than they did a few weeks ago.

Then they met at Craven Cottage on a chastening night when Graham Potter’s misfortune of the time was summed up by loan signing Joao Felix making an impressive debut before being sent off and Chelsea slumping to defeat.

Felix was not available for last night’s return as he served the final game of his ban.

But plenty of other new faces were for Chelsea. They started with £107m British record capture Enzo Fernandez, £88m Mykhailo Mudryk and £35m Benoit Badiashile.

Fellow new arrivals, £31m winger Noni Madueke and then £8m David Datro Fofana then came off the bench.

None of the quintet featured in the first game between the two sides. But still Chelsea were unable to crack Marco Silva’s impressive Fulham.

This was not what watching co-owners Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and the other members of Chelsea’s newly-assembled recruitment team would have expected after embarking on record-breaking spree.

The ‘what a waste of money’ taunts that came from the away end with increasing frequency as this eventual stalemate wore on were almost inevitable.

Graham Potter’s choices had already caused a stir long before kick-off following his Champions League omission of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who was unsurprisingly also not involved against Fulham.

There was then more intrigue come the evening over which of Chelsea’s newest faces would make his team to face neighbours Fulham.

Fernandez’s work permit came through in time to start and he was handed a full debut along with Mykhailo Mudryk following the Ukrainian winger’s encouraging cameo off the bench at Liverpool last time out.

Fit-again Reece James felt like a new signing too and the sight of him back in the side and Ben Chilwell on the bench after injuries that have been damaging to Chelsea’s progress, were just as pleasing.

Hakim Ziyech was also in from the off despite being on the brink of a move to Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day which he was unimpressed to see collapse.

Fulham did not have either of their deadline day signings, Cedric Soares and Sasa Lukic, but did welcome talismanic striker Aleksandar Mitrovic back.

Stamford Bridge was expectant and Fernandez, starting at the base of Chelsea’s midfield, certainly did not disappoint.

He displayed a freakish knack for being in the right place at the right time when the ball ran loose, was keen to put his foot in, rarely losing any of the many challenges he went into, took responsibility for getting Chelsea going and passed impressively, both long and short and at times with real intent.

He was a contributor to a first half that had a pace to it, though few attempts on goal until Andreas Pereira unleashed a volley that Kepa Arrizabalaga flew across his goal to save.

Chelsea responded with two off target efforts from Kai Havertz who was not having the sort of convincing night required after being among the attackers to get the nod over Aubameyang.

The first of those chances was turned over on the stretch after Fernandez had released Mason Mount with a ball over the top.

Another forward ball from the Argentinian cut through Fulham’s defence and sent Ziyech away but he sliced wide with his weaker right foot.

Having misfired with his first two attempts, Havertz was unlucky with his third, latching onto a delightful ball over the top from Ziyech but lobbing against the post.

Mudryk was having nowhere near the impact he did at Anfield or Fernandez. Never mind. Chelsea had another big-money signing to chuck on. Noni Madueke came on in his place for the second half.

At first, though, it was a former Chelsea winger who was a bigger concern when Willian drove towards the corner of the box and fired back across goal, forcing Kepa into a save.

Fulham were giving as good as they got. That should not really have been a surprise with the table confirming them as the best team in West London current.

The confidence they played with at the home of their wealthy neighbours was befitting of that status.

It was summed up by an audacious trick from Joao Palhinha that was not what you would expect from a midfield enforcer and led to Pereira having a shot blocked before Palhinha joined the attack to fire over.

Chelsea were struggling to make inroads at the other end but Potter was not short of options and Raheem Sterling was the latest attacking change made in the Chelsea head coach’s attempts to take control of the game.

But it was Fulham who came closest to scoring, Willian racing clear down the left and crossing for De-Cordova Reid whose shot was held by Kepa.

The Chelsea keeper then had to be alert to avoid being chipped by Mitrovic from just inside the Chelsea half.

Fernandez was having nowhere near the same influence in the second half but came as near as anyone in Chelsea blue to breaking the deadlock with a long-range effort that he whipped just beyond Bernd Leno and his far post.

Fofana was next to join Chelsea’s search for a winner and the crowd rose to their feet in anticipation he beat Leno to all over the top, skipped past the sliding Issa Diop and seemed certain to score.

But Tim Ream came to Fulham’s rescue with a goalline clearance, summing up Fulham’s determination to keep Chelsea out which they managed to to claim a deserved point.