Jackson and Nkunku could flourish in attack, the Blues already look well trained under Pochettino while James and Silva are ready to challenge for the captain’s armband… THINGS WE LEARNED from their 2-0 win over Fulham

Chelsea defeated West London rivals Fulham 2-0 to win the Premier League Summer Series at FedExField, United States.

First-half goals from the arrival of Christopher Nkunku and Thiago SIlva in the summer were enough to secure the Blues’ third pre-season win.

Veteran defender Silva opened the scoring within 20 minutes, rising high from a corner and finding the net with a powerful header.

Nkunku doubled Chelsea’s lead before the break and quickly bounced off a rebound after Carney Chukwuemeka’s effort was saved.

Adrian Kajumba from Mail Sport was there to bring you some talking points.

The search for a new goalkeeper could be over

Goalkeeper looked like a position to be tackled at Chelsea this summer and a move for Robert Sanchez from Brighton is now being seriously explored and tentative progress is being made.

The price of some of the options Chelsea have looked at in particular has been an obstacle before. That was the case earlier in the summer when an earlier investigation into Sanchez was made. But developments have put a possible switch from Sanchez back on the agenda.

He already had a big fan base at Stamford Bridge, his former Brighton mentor, Ben Roberts, who now heads Chelsea’s goalkeeping department. New head coach Mauricio Pochettino has also given a transfer from Sanchez his blessing.

Sanchez lost his spot as Brighton’s No. 1 to Jason Steele towards the end of last season and saw Dutchman Bart Verbruggen join this summer.

And with his relationship with manager failing to improve, Robert De Zerbi Sanchez is training with Brighton’s under-18s rather than the first team.

A move to Chelsea, which has also signed a deal with AS Monaco centre-back Axel Disasi, appears to be a success for all parties.

With Sanchez’s current plight looking unsustainable, Brighton’s asking price could well drop slightly to a price more favorable to Chelsea.

A sale would allow Brighton to secure a fee for a player completely out of the first-team picture, while Chelsea would sign a proven Premier League goalkeeper, restoring their options following the departure of Edouard Mendy .

Sánchez is initially seen as a competitor for Kepa Arrizabalaga, but has the potential to improve further and could also replace his compatriot as Chelsea’s first-choice.

COMPETITION FOR CAPTAINSHIP

Following the departure of the club’s previous captain Cesar Azpilicueta, a vacancy has arisen for the next Chelsea skipper. Both Ben Chilwell and Reece James have rolled up their sleeves on the tour, while Thiago Silva and Kepa Arrizabalaga have worn the bracelet in the past.

There may have been a hint of who the front runners are as Chelsea lifted the Premier League Summer Series Cup as Silva and James lifted the trophy.

Head coach Pochettino didn’t give too much away, he just said: ‘In the first half it was Thiago and in the second half it was Reece. Both captains today (so) raise the trophy. Of course they have the opportunity to become captain, yes.’

FOOTBALL CULTURE IN THE US

This Premier League Summer Series was a great opportunity to spread the word about England’s top division among several fans. Very different fans actually.

In one of the games, water stoppages were booed by supporters unimpressed by the brief interruption of proceedings, despite its necessity in the scorching heat of the United States.

Meanwhile, on the FedEx pitch, where Aston Villa faced Brentford before Chelsea met Fulham, it was striking how many fans from clubs not involved in the two games showed up and unashamedly wore their colours.

Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Wolves and Everton were among the clubs well represented, along with foreign sides and international teams with rival fans eager to mingle. Showing support for the Premier League and English football felt as important as anything.

PROMISE SIGNS UNDER POCHETTINO

Chelsea won the inaugural Premier League Summer Series thanks to a victory against Fulham, completing this successful leg of their tour of the Americas.

The game against Borussia Dortmund in Chicago will be their last before the real work begins, and given that they have yet to assemble a team that looks like it could run out for their opening game against Liverpool, it could be argued is one more game maybe not enough.

But so far from America, a much better trip to the United States than last summer’s unfortunate trip, there was plenty beyond the scope to encourage. Chelsea have been playing well, getting good results, which always helps, and showing promising signs of what Mauricio Pochettino is trying to do tactically.

The positions taken by some of his players such as Ben Chilwell, Malo Gusto and Christopher Nkunku point to some of the adjustments the new head coach is trying to make and signs that Chelsea will be a much better trained side than the previous one season.

JACKSON AND NKUNKU IMPRESS

The big striker Chelsea seemed to need has not yet arrived, but their two main attacking signings of the summer have so far paid off. Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku both scored three goals in four games in the US, more than decent results.

Jackson has all the tools to become an impressive number nine and Nkunku, who scored against Fulham after some impressive footwork in Carney Chukwuemeka’s run, will be an excellent sidekick if Chelsea choose to continue with what they’ve got.

It’s more versatile than Jackson and has been an interesting watch. He may not always be the most involved in games, but he has shown a talent for being in the right place at the right time and being efficient when opportunities arise.

That won’t be a bad thing at all if he can keep that up and given Chelsea’s struggle for a reliable contender in recent times, not least last season.