Chelsea legend Joe Cole reckons Joao Felix has given Blues manager Enzo Maresca a selection dilemma.
The summer recruit netted twice before the break as Maresca’s heavily rotated squad thrashed Armenian side FC Noah by eight goals in the UEFA Conference League. The Blues are now leading the table at the midway point of the league phase, boasting maximum points and a +13 goal difference.
Those two goals took his tally to five in 10 matches this season, surpassing his total from 20 appearances during his initial stint with the Blues in the 2022-23 season. The Portuguese international returned on a permanent deal over the summer and has found the back of the net four times in Europe, along with one league goal in the 6-2 victory over Wolves in August.
Despite flourishing in Europe, Joao Felix has only clocked up 117 minutes under Maresca in the Premier League. However, Cole – who was with the Blues for seven years after signing under Claudio Ranieri in 2003 – believes that could change soon.
“I thought he was brilliant, he applied himself,” TNT Sports pundit Cole said about the ex-Atletico Madrid player. “You have to remember with Joao, he was a £100 million player at some point, his career has obviously gone here, there and everywhere but he’s very, very talented, he wants to make Chelsea his home,” reports the Mirror.
“When he first came to the club I was blown away by how good his movement was. This is what he needs to take his game to the next level, finishing with that kind of composure.”
Cole has suggested the 24-year-old forward could hit a twenty-goal tally if the pieces fall into place, noting: “He could be forgiven for feeling sorry for himself because he should be a starter with his quality. He’s given the manager a headache.”
Chelsea are gearing up for their final fixture before the international hiatus, set to meet Arsenal on Sunday in a highly-anticipated showdown. Felix hasn’t featured in the playing squad during the last trio of league clashes for his team; however, an injury setback for Cole Palmer alongside his recent brace against Noah might just be Felix’s ticket to some action.
(Image: X/footballontnt)
Ahead of the Noah match, Maresca shared his concerns about Palmer: “He didn’t train the last two days. We will see,” further adding, “Hopefully he can be fit. The tackle, I think it’s quite clear, was not a normal one. Hopefully he can be back.”
But Felix isn’t the only one turning heads at Stamford Bridge. Marc Guiu celebrated scoring his introductory Chelsea goal post his transfer from Barcelona, while Christopher Nkunku bagged a pair of goals, accompanied by additional netters from Tosin Adarabioyo, Axel Disasi and Mykhailo Mudryk.
Maresca offered words of wisdom after their victory, emphasising professionalism and seriousness within the squad. He said: “It’s easy to sleep or fall down in this type of game. Football is full of surprises. What I asked them before the game was to show how serious we are, how professional, and they showed that.”