Enzo Maresca watched his Chelsea side drop two points on the road during Sunday’s trip to Everton in the Premier League.
Chelsea could only manage a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park, which brought to an end their eight-game winning streak across all competitions.
The Blues would’ve temporarily moved to the top of the league table with a victory, but they couldn’t find a way past the Everton defence. Up next, they’re back at Stamford Bridge when they host Fulham on Boxing Day.
Everton defender James Tarkowski says they kept Chelsea and Cole Palmer quiet during the weekend’s showdown.
Joao Felix #14 of Chelsea FC warms up during the Premier League match between Everton and Chelsea at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England, on Decemb...
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Chelsea fans wanted Joao Felix to feature vs Everton
A selection of Chelsea supporters on social media were frustrated that Enzo Maresca didn’t use Joao Felix as a substitute during the Everton game.
The Blues manager chucked on Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke for the final 15 minutes, but Felix was an unused substitute on Sunday afternoon.
A fan on X wrote: “Love Maresca but no Felix in a game like that is criminal.”
Another said: “I don’t really understand Maresca why on earth did Palmer and Sancho played 90 minutes when Felix is there.”
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“I need Maresca to understand that it is okay to sub off Palmer. Felix could’ve offered something different I reckon,” someone else commented.
One supporter posted: “Maresca mistake with the subs. Felix should’ve come on.”
Another claimed: “Maresca should have introduced Felix in that match. We needed him so bad.”
Another shared: “If this isn’t a game for Joao Felix I don’t know what is. No idea why he didn’t come on.”
Maresca described Chelsea attacker Felix as “fantastic” earlier in the season, but he’s not a player that gets too many opportunities in the Premier League. The Portuguese star has made nine appearances in the club’s 17 league games so far this season, starting only twice.
The Chelsea squad is extremely stacked with talent, especially in the forward areas, so it means some high-profile individuals are struggling for minutes.
Joao Felix is very unlucky
Jamie Carragher was worried about Chelsea’s Felix in pre-season because he feared where he would get into the team. Unfortunately, that’s exactly how it’s panned out for him so far.
The talented attacker has scored five goals in 16 appearances across all competitions this season, delivering some eye-catching displays in Europe.
When it comes to the Premier League, nobody is budging Palmer from the No.10 position. Therefore, Maresca is finding it hard to get Felix into the XI, although he sometimes gets a chance in wide areas.
As Chelsea continue this busy festive schedule, Felix should get more chances to play with a bit more rotation.
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