Joe Cole explains what Joao Felix must do to become '20, 25-goal a season man' at Chelsea
Former Chelsea star Joe Cole has waxed lyrical about Joao Felix for his performance against Noah in the Conference League on Thursday (November 7). The Blues ran riot at Stamford Bridge against the Armenian outfit in an eight-goal thriller.
Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Axel Disasi, and Mykhailo Mudryk got on the scoresheet while Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku bagged a brace each to secure an 8-0 victory.
Cole was exhilarated with Felix's display as he hailed the Portuguese for his abilities on the pitch. He also backed the former Atletico Madrid star to score upwards of 20 goals per season for the Blues.
The former Chelsea No. 10 said on TNT Sports after the game (via Metro):
"I thought he was brilliant, he applied himself. 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."
"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. Once he can bring this to his game he can be a 20, 25-goal a season man. Everything else in his game is on point. He’s great on the half turn, he can give you an assist, he’s busy," he added.
Chelsea will next face Arsenal in the Premier League this Sunday (November 10).
"He’s given the manager a headache" - Joe Cole insists Chelsea star Joao Felix 'should be a starter'
Joe Cole strongly believes that Joao Felix deserves a spot in Enzo Maresca's starting XI with the quality he's shown so far at Chelsea.
Felix made his permanent move to Stamford Bridge from Atletico Madrid in the summer, having previously spent half a season with the Blues on loan during the 2022-23 campaign.
However, he is yet to make a start in the Premier League for the west Londoners this season and Cole believes the Italian manager must start Felix more often.
He said in the same interview:
"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. They’ve got a huge squad, when you go to a big club now it’s going to be stacked with top, top players and you have to perform to your level and more, week in, week out, to play."
"And when you don’t you find yourself out of the side. But it seems like he’s showing a great attitude and that can only be good for the group," he added.
Joao Felix has scored five goals and provided an assist in 10 appearances across competitions this season.