Chelsea told they must upgrade ‘weak point’ before transfer deadline

Former Arsenal and England striker Alan Smith says Chelsea must find a quality replacement for Robert Sanchez if they are to challenge for the Premier League title this season.

Sanchez’s position as Chelsea’s number one has been called into question on numerous occasions throughout his error-strewn three-year stay at Stamford Bridge and these doubts rose to the surface once again on Monday night.

Joao Pedro struck after only 31 seconds to get the Blues’ season off to a rip-roaring start against Fulham, but Sanchez produced several shaky moments as the hosts sought an equaliser.

Joshua King saw an effort awkwardly parried behind by Sanchez before trying his luck again from a similar position just minutes later – this time beating the Spain international far too easily at his near post.

While Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer struck either side of half-time to put Chelsea back in control against their local neighbours, Gonzalo Garcia capitalised on another blunder from Sanchez to set up a tense finish at Craven Cottage.

The visitors managed to hold firm for the remaining minutes to emerge with all three points in Xabi Alonso’s opening Premier League match at the helm.

But according to Smith, the west London giants should be doing everything in their power to find an upgrade for Sanchez before the summer transfer deadline comes around on September 1.

Asked if Chelsea need to find a new goalkeeper to challenge for the title, Smith told Sky Sports: ‘Yeah, I think so. He’s certainly a weak point and he started the game as if he had no confidence whatsoever

‘He miskicked an attempted clearance and then to get beaten from that angle, it was an awful moment for him.

‘I’m sure Josh King let fly not really thinking he was going to score. He caught it well enough, King, but it’s a real blooper from the goalkeeper.

‘It might be now that they have to go into the market and buy a position that they didn’t think they would be doing so we’ll wait and see on that one with interest.

‘They’ve obviously spent quite a bit in this pre-season and whether they’ve got much more money to spend, we’ll wait and see, but that could hold them back really badly I think.

While questions remain over Sanchez’s future, though, Smith was impressed with what he saw from Chelsea at the other end of the pitch.

‘Listen, that strike trio that we saw at Fulham is as good as any really and it looks like they’ve got the capabilities to build a really good understanding,’ Smith, who won two league titles with Arsenal, continued.

‘Cole Palmer was in imperious form, Joao Pedro is looking like a proper centre-forward and Morgan Rogers got on the scoresheet as well so they’re really enjoying the football.

‘They’re going to take some stopping going forward but obviously they endured one or two problems defensively, gave away a couple of soft goals and it wasn’t just the Sanchez mistake.’

He added: ‘Xabi Alonso will want to address that in the coming days and weeks, but when you’ve got attackers like that… and not just the three I mentioned, the boys off the bench as well, people like Estevao, so Alonso has a lot of options going forward.’

Manchester United legend Gary Neville made similarly strong comments about Sanchez when commentating on Chelsea’s defeat of Fulham on Sky Sports.

‘Robert Sanchez does undermine Chelsea’s position. He makes a lot of errors and it just can’t happen that, it can’t happen,’ the ex-England right-back said.

‘It will undermine everything Chelsea do. It’s a problem for Chelsea and I don’t think if Emiliano Martinez is available, but they need someone like that.’

Alonso may be tempted to take Sanchez out of the firing line for Chelsea’s return to action against Luton Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup on Thursday evening.

Three days later, the Blues will look to continue their winning start in the Premier League at home to Sanchez’s former club Brighton.

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