Joao Felix misses open goal from yards out for Chelsea vs Noah – Chelsea

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Joao Felix has produced what many are calling the miss of the season from yards out for Chelsea against FC Noah in the Conference League.

The Portugal striker was handed a rare start by manager Enzo Maresca for the third group stage fixture of the season.

Felix had the opportunity to put Chelsea ahead inside the first six minutes, but suffered a horror moment in front of goal.

Tyrique George received the ball on the right side of the penalty area before firing the ball into the centre of the area at ankle height.

Felix made the run and was onside, and had an open goal to aim at if he could get the connection on the ball.

However, he completely miskicked the ball and passed it back in the direction it came from, with the Noah defence able to clear it away.

Check out the miss below.

The forward, though, may not have dwelled on that miss for too long.

He scored Chelsea’s fourth goal as they ran rampant in the first half, scoring four goals inside the first 25 minutes.

Felix has been a regular starter for the Blues in the Conference League but that has been his main source of game time since rejoining Chelsea on a permanent deal from Atletico Madrid in the summer.

He netted twice in the last matchweek away at Panathinaikos, meaning only three players have scored more goals than him in the Conference League this season before the Noah clash.

His Premier League minutes, though, have been limited, and the 24-year-old has been an unused substitute in each of Chelsea’s last three matches.

Maresca spoke about Felix in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, stating that the player ‘deserves’ more chances in the Premier League.

He also echoed those comments for fellow domestic fringe players Christopher Nkunku and Mykhailo Mudryk, explaining: “I feel a shame for Joao and I would like to give him more minutes in the Premier League. But we need that defensive balance and we cannot play with Joao, Cole Palmer, Christo.

“I’d like to put all of them on the pitch, but then you need to defend and you need the right balance.

“I don’t have any doubts that if Joao keeps working well, he will find his moment in the Premier League.

“I try to find solution and balance with all of them but not all of them can be in their position, they have to adapt a bit. It’s for Joao, Christo, Misha [Mudryk], they are all players who deserves more chances in the Premier League. But there are also more players who deserve that.”

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