Enzo Fernandez's Chelsea debut came to a disappointing conclusion as Fulham gained a respectable 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge against Graham Potter's team.

As Potter's club failed to significantly improve upon their mid-table Premier League status and saw their inconsistent run stretch to one win in six in the tournament, their £106.5 million deadline day deal was kept mainly under wraps.

After a week in which they broke the British transfer record to sign World Cup-winning player Fernandez, Fulham demonstrated that it is not necessary to spend more than £500 million to hold a position in the upper echelons of the top division by making the hosts look toothless at times. This was thanks to Marco Silva's well-drilled team.

Chelsea is now stuck in ninth place and is finding it difficult to maintain the optimism brought on by owner Todd Boehly's hasty £315 million investment during the January transfer window.

In the game's opening opportunity, which fell to the visitors, Andreas Pereira collected the ball in the center and, after a quick first touch, forced Kepa Arrizabalaga to make a fingertip stop with a low drive toward the corner.

For Chelsea, whose defense had given Pereira too much room, it was a let-off. Within minutes, they came close to capitalizing on their good fortune when Kai Havertz stretched out from six yards and lifted Mason Mount's cross high over the bar.

Then, on the stroke of half-time, Chelsea’s moment looked to have arrived. Hakim Ziyech, fresh from his failed move to Paris St Germain on deadline day, clipped a searching ball in behind Fulham for Havertz to run onto but the makeshift number nine could only watch as his lobbed effort drifted over Bernd Leno and came back off the post.

Fulham had enjoyed the best of the first period with debutant Fernandez largely kept quiet, and Potter responded by withdrawing Mykhailo Mudryk at the break and sending on fellow new-signing Noni Madueke for his debut.

But the immediate rewards for Chelsea were few, the second half continuing in a vein in which Fulham more than held their own against the hosts’ expensively assembled creative cavalry.

Willian, a two-time Premier League winner during his days at Stamford Bridge, evaded the otherwise impressive Benoit Badiashile and broke forward down the left. However, his far-post cross was slightly too wide of Bobby Decordova-Reid, whose shot was easily saved by Arrizabalaga.

The moment Chelsea fans craved almost arrived with 20 minutes remaining. Fernandez showed the initiative that had been missing from the home side’s attack to whip a spectacular first-time effort shot beyond Leno’s dive and fractionally past the post. The crowd rallied, and Chelsea started to take control.

Yet for all the talk of the Argentinian, it was £10million substitute David Fofana who came closest to winning it for Potter’s side, going through one-on-one against Leno before slipping beyond the goalkeeper — only to see his effort cleared off the line by the covering Tim Ream.

It was to be Chelsea’s best — and last — chance as the opportunity to leapfrog Fulham into the top six and keep the celebratory mood alive slipped away.