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Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso may soon be forced into a major selection call after what unfolded against Fulham.

Robert Sanchez’s place as Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper is now under serious pressure after a mistake in the opening match of the Premier League season against Fulham.

When Josh King scored in the first half, Sanchez was found wanting on what should have been a straightforward save.

As per FotMob, King’s shot carried 0.07 xG (Expected Goals) and 0.07 xGOT (Expected Goals on Target), suggesting that in 93 out of 100 cases, an average top-flight goalkeeper would be expected to keep it out.

Letting that effort slip into the net gave the home side an equaliser and once again raised some awkward doubts over the Spanish goalkeeper’s overall dependability.

It was far from a one-off moment as well; Sanchez has made the odd high-profile mistake during his time at Chelsea, and those errors have often led directly to goals.

Last season, he was briefly left out in favour of Filip Jorgensen during the early part of Liam Rosenior’s spell in charge.

Now, with Xabi Alonso in the Stamford Bridge dugout, Sanchez is again under threat as Chelsea’s No. 1 and has to convince yet another manager of his value.

Alonso could decide, based on the Fulham performance, that Sanchez does not possess the level of calm needed to remain the clear first-choice keeper.

What further weakens Sanchez’s position is the way Chelsea’s dressing-room hierarchy has changed. Previously, at 28, he held the distinct position of being the oldest member of the first-team squad.

But 12 months later, that situation has changed, with the squad now collectively a year older and Alonso’s summer recruitment bringing in Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck.

With two highly decorated senior figures now at the club, Chelsea are no longer as reliant on Sanchez to provide leadership from goal.

At the same time, a genuine challenger has emerged in Mike Penders. Back from his loan spell at Strasbourg, the young Belgian goalkeeper produced displays that were statistically in line with expectations while also showing composure in possession.

Since distribution has long been viewed as one of Sanchez’s key strengths, Penders appears capable of matching the older goalkeeper in that area while perhaps offering greater long-term potential.