Enzo Maresca had to think very carefully before every substitution he made for Chelsea in their last Premier League game against Arsenal.
He made the decision to sub off Noni Madueke instead of Pedro Neto first in attack, with the Portugal international being the man who fired them level in the second half.
Madueke stormed down the tunnel after being replaced, and you would imagine that did not go down too well with the manager in arguably the club’s biggest game of the season.
Maresca also got the substitution to replace Romeo Lavia spot on, as Enzo Fernandez reminded everyone of his quality for Chelsea.
Joao Felix angry he was not subbed on for Chelsea vs Arsenal
In a late push for a goal, Christopher Nkunku was also introduced, meaning that Joao Felix was spending another Premier League game without an apperance.
Chelsea fans were calling for Felix to start against Arsenal after his display in the Conference League, with there being doubts over whether Cole Palmer was fit enough to feature.
The Portugal international was clearly not thrilled at the prospect of another 90 minutes on the bench. According to The Guardian, the attacker threw his sock ties to the floor in frustration when it became apparent he wasn’t going to feature.
Did Enzo Maresca even want to sign Felix?
It was reported Maresca was more keen on signing a new defender rather than Felix, and this is perhaps shown by the fact he is yet to start in the Premier League.
The manager has hinted he could play Felix alongside Palmer in attacking roles, which is certainly an exciting prospect for supporters in games they are likely to have complete control of.
It felt as if the deal to sign the player following his loan at Stamford Bridge in 2023 was done predominantly because of the desire to move Conor Gallagher on, after their original efforts to sign Samu Omorodion fell through at the final moments.
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