Surprise Chelsea player hailed for making 14 ground duels which Nkunku might have ducked | OneFootball

Joao Felix was a surprise choice for Enzo Maresca at the weekend.

Even with Pedro Neto out, it was expected that it was going to be Christopher Nkunku coming into the team, so the sight of Felix in the starting XI surprised many fans. Perhaps knowing how big a break this was, the Portugal star put a real shift in, topping his team in many defensive stats.

On the London is Blue podcast they noted this and drilled down into the numbers to wonder how Enzo Maresca had lit a fire under him. He certainly didn’t show this sort of determination and grit in his first spell – in fact that was one of the reasons that many fans weren’t sure about him coming back.

You can see their discussion in the clip embedded here:

Joao Felix dances beyond a Leicester defender. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Felix can still be a key player if he keeps up intensity

“Nine of 14 ground duels won, 1 of 1 aerial won, did win 4 of his 8 dribbles. There were a couple of moments where he sprinted back and won the ball back with a sliding challenge or broke up a counter attack and was, it seems to me, a little more physical than he was in stint number one,” their pundit pointed out.

“Maybe he’s just at the point of realising like, ‘hey, I do need to kind of get it together. I’m gonna have to make some adjustments to my game.'”

We certainly hope so – if this sort of intensity becomes part of his game he will end up being used as an option far more often by Maresca, who probably doubts he can get Nkunku competing for 14 ground duels in a game.

Felix would be some weapon if he could produce in attack and defence at a level close to his immense talent.