Joao Felix

Joao Felix starts for Chelsea against Fulham just a day after his loan move from Atletico Madrid was confirmed. The 23-year-old will make his Premier League ...

[Premier League](https://theathletic.com/football/premier-league/) debut at Craven Cottage with Graham Potter putting his faith in the Portugal international. [Antonee Robinson](https://theathletic.com/football/player/antonee-robinson-D7bjbYbvuoyPTsuX/), [Joao Palhinha](https://theathletic.com/football/player/joao-palhinha-V3auBkD0QaPo1HqE/), Reed, Reid, [Andreas Pereira](https://theathletic.com/football/player/andreas-pereira-MCFLOlnoBLQxIoXY/), [Willian](https://theathletic.com/football/player/willian-PAAYZGhzgkswLzoj/), Vinicius. [Jorginho](https://theathletic.com/football/player/jorginho-MvC0hVi06208wo5E/), Aubameyang, Bettinelli, Ziyech, Gallagher, [David Datro Fofana](https://theathletic.com/football/player/david-datro-fofana-AzpJzDsCd1yhxZ0m/), Chukwuemeka, Cucurella. [Arsenal](https://theathletic.com/football/team/arsenal/) and [Manchester United](https://theathletic.com/football/team/manchester-united/) to secure the signing, with Joao Felix having been attracted by their project. [Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang](https://theathletic.com/football/player/pierre-emerick-aubameyang-PlxW6clTOC8TqmBP/) returns to Chelsea’s matchday squad after missing Sunday’s 4-0 defeat in the [FA Cup](https://theathletic.com/football/fa-cup/) by [Manchester City](https://theathletic.com/football/team/manchester-city/) through injury. [Joao Felix](https://theathletic.com/football/player/joao-felix-ucCJXAWiq0yowCTd/) starts for [Chelsea](https://theathletic.com/football/team/chelsea/) against [Fulham](https://theathletic.com/football/team/fulham/) just a day after his loan move from Atletico Madrid was confirmed.

Joao Felix showed Chelsea what they've been missing for an hour and what they will now miss again for the next three games. The skillful halfwit.

Felix can work in those positions between the lines, and was involved in some neat build-up play – flicking the ball on for Kai Havertz and getting it back; drifting past defenders with the ball at his feet. Mason Mount aside, members of Chelsea’s front three in the last two-and-a-half years have ranged from mediocre to p*ss poor. It will be good for Graham Potter to have one of his own. Make no mistake, this is a wonderful deal for Atletico, who have made £9m and don’t have to pay £270,000 a week for a player Simeone puts on the bench. Felix will return to Madrid at the start of next season – hopefully having regained some confidence through game time at Chelsea – when Atletico will likely have a new manager. That’s a superstar fee for someone who has too rarely looked like a superstar in the three years since.

Graham Potter said "the hits keep on coming" after Joao Felix was sent off on his Chelsea debut as the Blues slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Fulham.

It is a tough moment for us." "It is tough. We feel for them and I think it is important we stick together and try and get through this tough period." I made sure I went over and clapped them because we appreciate their support. He was really good, you could see his quality in the game, so it is doubly disappointing for us. It is another blow.

With Joao Felix becoming the first Premier League player to see a red card in his debut since 2014, it's another issue to deal with for the Blues.

[Aleksandar Mitrovic](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/183209/Aleksandar-Mitrovic) through suspension but wide players Willian and [Bobby De Cordova-Reid](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/142055/Bobby-De-Cordova-Reid) ably supported Carlos Vinicius. Felix has carved out an unwanted piece of history: he becomes the first player to receive a red card on their Premier League debut since [Federico Fazio](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/97425/Federico-Fazio) for Tottenham against [Manchester City](/football/team?id=382) in October 2014. the good thing we can take as a group, even in the second half we didn't perform at our best and we are able to win a football match against a top side even if they are on a bad run." Chelsea manager Graham Potter, on Felix's red card: "There's a reaction from the side and it's a forward's tackle, shall we say, and there was too much malice in it. [Joao Felix](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/276350/joao-felix) was sent off on his [Chelsea](/football/team?id=363) debut Thursday as [Fulham](/football/team?id=370) beat the Blues [2-1](/football/report/_/gameId/638261) at Craven Cottage to heap more pressure on Graham Potter. In fact, despite playing the final 32 minutes with 10 men, Chelsea finished here with more shots (20-8), more shots on target (10-3) and a much better xG (2.05-0.58). Willian spent seven years at Chelsea, immediately earning cult hero status after turning down Tottenham to join the Blues -- and his contribution to the club is still remembered to the extent the away fans briefly sang his name shortly after kickoff. The fans sang "we want our Chelsea back" by the end. Chelsea's lack of goals -- 21 in 18 league games now -- only underlines the importance of defensive stability but this was a seventh defeat in 10 matches, which heaps more pressure on Potter. Both Koulibaly and Chalobah looked shaky trying to play out from the back while Fulham's two goals were avoidable, particularly the winner. [Highlights and notable moments](#highlights) [Best/worst performers](#ratings)

Joao Felix looked sharp one day after completing a loan move from Atletico Madrid but he was shown a straight red card in the 58th minute as Chelsea lost to ...

Potter's side had been humbled 4-0 by Manchester City in the FA Cup on Sunday but made a positive start at Craven Cottage, with Felix looking lively. The second half wasn't at our best level," he said. "The good thing we can take as a group, even in the second half we didn't perform at our best and we are able to win a football match against a top side even if they are on a bad run."

Joao Felix lasted just under an hour into his Chelsea debut against Fulham on Thursday before being shown a straight red for a nasty challenge.

Chelsea had pulled one back through Kalidou Koulibaly just after the break following [Willian's first-half opener against his former club,](https://www.goal.com/en/news/willian-haunts-former-club-chelsea-deflected-goal-refuses-celebrate-fulham-team-mates/blt725a7e69a8f16cde) before Felix signed his debut off in disastrous fashion, leaving his new side in trouble. Add to that the injury woes of Denis Zakaria just minutes before the Portuguese's dismissal, and the Blues' squad looks threadbare, [with nine first-team players already out injured](https://www.goal.com/en/news/pulisic-untimely-injury-felix-chelsea-arrival-usmnt-star-uncertain-future/blt252641847f52c4d5).

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter believes there was no malice in the challenge which saw Joao Felix receive a red card on his debut. Joao Felix was sent off ...

[Carlos Vinicius](https://theathletic.com/football/player/carlos-vinicius-1R8Oyyce8nHkA8HA/) netted the winner for [Fulham](https://theathletic.com/football/team/fulham/) with 17 minutes remaining and Chelsea were unable to find another equaliser. Sometimes these things happen, they go against you and you have to suffer — and believe me, we are suffering at the moment.” “He didn’t go to hurt anybody, he didn’t lose his head. It was a little bit high and then the referee has a decision to make. “I don’t think it was an emotional one from Joao — it didn’t feel that way to me. You could see his quality, you could see what he brought to the game.

Chelsea are "making it up as they go along", says their former striker Chris Sutton after they forked out £9.7m to sign Joao Felix on loan until the end of ...

"From Felix's point of view, he'll want to get his career kickstarted and realise the potential everybody believed he had when he moved to Atletico from Benfica," he said. That could work in Chelsea's favour, argues Sutton. [Joao Felix](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64226705) on loan until the end of the season.

Report and highlights as Chelsea suffer first defeat to Fulham since 2006; Willian scored against his old club; Carlos Vinicius ended his goal drought; ...

We get back in the game and the red card is where we're at at the moment, in terms of things that can happen to us [do happen to us]. We won the game, but big room to improve and we'll keep working hard with our players." I felt it after the final whistle in that moment, the way they celebrated with our players. Joao is a young player, a top player, you can see his quality and there wasn't any malice [in the tackle] but the ref has a decision to make. But I think the basics we can do a little bit better, in terms of our defending and football actions. I felt it was a relatively even game in the first half, we had a couple of chances. A rare triumph for the hosts - but a now all-too familiar painful feeling for under-pressure Potter. But within the space of another two minutes Potter was left cursing his luck once more, with Zakaria limping off and then Felix sent off for stretching for the ball after a poor touch and catching Tete's shin. Within two minutes of the restart they were level, with Koulibaly forcing the ball home after Mount's free-kick hit the frame of the goal. But Fulham's supporters behind the goal didn't care one bit and revelled in taking the lead against their neighbours who they last beat in March 2006. By the quarter-hour mark the Chelsea fans were singing his name, with Antonee Robinson and Andreas Pereira both in the book for bringing down the stylish, dangerous, roaming forward. But in the end, his first appearance will be remembered for a foolish studs-up lunge at Kenny Tete.

Chelsea's Joao Felix has endured a nightmare debut when he was sent off in a 2-1 Premier League defeat at local rivals Fulham to increase the pressure on ...

Chelsea's owners have been unwavering in backing of Potter - after defeat to Fulham and red for Joao Felix that resolve is being tested.

The majority were relatively comfortable saves for [Bernd Leno](https://theathletic.com/football/player/bernd-leno-isTkDzc6d6j12NLz/) though. It is difficult to blame Potter for such individual errors when his tactical setup made sense and Chelsea won the expected goals (xG) comfortably — 0.7-2.1. Potter is fundamentally the same coach Chelsea hired to helm a long-term project in September. He sprinted into the right channel to latch onto a [Cesar Azpilicueta](https://theathletic.com/football/player/cesar-azpilicueta-CCN3w4aSGdHj5s6r/) pass down the line and any regular Chelsea watcher knew what to expect next: decelerate, check back inside and keep possession, waiting for team-mates to arrive to create numerical superiority. The number reaches 12 if you include Aubameyang, who was left on the bench during the late chase for an equaliser. Boehly and Clearlake have been consistent and unwavering in their backing, but the extent of their resolve cannot be known until it is thoroughly stress-tested. Anarchy flourished at both ends of the pitch. Chelsea as a team were revitalised by Joao Felix in attack, registering 14 shots at goal and five on target in just the first half. More hapless defending did that, coupled with His high and late tackle on [Trevoh Chalobah](https://theathletic.com/football/player/trevoh-chalobah-nA4AuCi9fSD483tE/) and [Kalidou Koulibaly](https://theathletic.com/football/player/kalidou-koulibaly-Xrp8uQyKo6Y04VY4/) blended misplaced passes with unforced errors and even [Thiago Silva](https://theathletic.com/football/player/thiago-silva-SMvGFhYXbUH4qI7k/) struggled mightily to deal with the physical presence of [Carlos Vinicius](https://theathletic.com/football/player/carlos-vinicius-1R8Oyyce8nHkA8HA/). He formed a particularly easy chemistry with

Joao Felix cost £13m, £14m, £15m or is he a £100million-plus player? And how long can Graham Potter avoid the sack when Chelsea fans are making their ...

As Miguel Delaney writes in The Independent: ‘Some with knowledge of the board believe they are prepared to miss out on European football next season. Joao Felix is only a ‘£100million-plus player’ if Chelsea paid that figure or if any club would pay that figure now. They are paying a loan fee and wages regardless of whether he is on the pitch or not. It will have exactly zero financial repercussions. It will have literally no financial impact on Chelsea, fella. But he didn’t sign on loan for £14m, did he?

Which players had the worst possible start to life in England's top division? A Premier League debut is a daunting prospect for even the most seasoned ...

[Joao Felix's nightmare debut](https://www.goal.com/en/news/joao-felix-red-card-nasty-challenge-chelsea-debut-fulham-premier-league-career-disaster/blt5f05a1bc13c8826a) on Thursday, here are 11 of the worst debuts in the division's history. In light of A Premier League debut is a daunting prospect for even the most seasoned professional footballers.

Felix player go miss Chelsea next three games afta im dismissal and di games include Liverpool and West Ham wey promise to be tough.

Dis one happun for 2016 as former Arsenal and Barcelona player Thomas Vermaelen dey play im first match for AS Roma against FC Porto for champions league. On im debut for di Reds for 2010 e use leg hit Laurent Koscielny wey dey also play im first match for Gunners and di referee respond wit red card, dat particular EPL match end 1-1. Im debut for di club na one wey di former player no go like remember till today because on im debut against Athletic Bilbao e no only score own goal but chop red card, di only consolation be say im team win di match 3-1.

Joao Felix is one of only 12 players to move for a transfer fee of €100 million or more. How many can be deemed a success? (Spoiler: Not many.)

Now age 30, the Brazilian superstar has won 12 honours over the course of six successful seasons in Paris, including four Ligue 1 titles and three Coupe de France triumphs. [England](/soccer/team?id=448) international has made a moderate start to life at the Etihad, contributing six goals and four assists (in all competitions) in his debut season, but while he was part of City's 2021-22 title-winning side, he often featured in an ancillary role. His most memorable action in a Barca match arguably came against them, when he scored for Bayern in their 8-2 mauling of his parent club in the 2020 Champions League quarterfinals. [Neymar](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/132948/Neymar) He then made the natural step up to Barcelona in 2019 and commanded a superstar's fee, but unfortunately the two parties struggled to mesh fully. Having played just 50 times for Dortmund during his short senior career, Dembele was suddenly transformed into the second-most expensive player of all time at the age of 20 when Barcelona signed him in August 2017. [Romelu Lukaku](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/139437/Romelu-Lukaku) Bale experienced the highest highs with Los Blancos, winning three LaLiga titles and five Champions Leagues (and scoring in two finals) among a host of other major honours. (Spoiler alert: Hits are thin on the ground.) However, the Belgium international was quickly stymied by various injury and fitness woes that continue to blight his post-Chelsea career: The most appearances he has made in any one season for Los Blancos is 23. What should have been a euphoric homecoming quickly became a stagnant procession for Pogba. [Ousmane Dembele](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/229744/Ousmane-Dembélé)

Chelsea's injury crisis is so bad, the club could make a complete XI of unavailable players.And it would probably stand a better chance in the Premier.

“It’s a tough period for us, absolutely,” Potter told talkSPORT. [Keep up to date with all the latest](https://talksport.com/football/1282444/transfer-news-gossip-rumours-premier-league-manchester-united-liverpool-chelsea-arsenal-ronaldo-messi-mudryk-fernandez-felix/) [news, rumours and gossip with our LIVE transfer blog](https://talksport.com/football/1282444/transfer-news-gossip-rumours-premier-league-manchester-united-liverpool-chelsea-arsenal-ronaldo-messi-mudryk-fernandez-felix/) “I feel for the supporters and I feel for everybody connected with the club.” [2-1 defeat at Fulham](https://talksport.com/football/1301527/joao-felix-red-card-chelsea-debut-fulham-premier-league/) on Thursday, while new loan signing Joao Felix got sent off and picked up a three-match suspension on his debut. [unpresented sequence of injuries to key players](https://talksport.com/football/1301784/todd-boehly-chelsea-injury-crisis/) – and perhaps Todd Boehly’s money would’ve been better-spent building a hospital. [Chelsea](https://talksport.com/football/1301576/graham-potter-chelsea-dark-position-defea-fulham-nice-play-against/) are struggling.

Joao Felix's red card on his Chelsea debut was one of the most expensive in football history.The Atletico Madrid loanee, who arrived at Chelsea on Wed.

[Keep up to date with all the latest](https://talksport.com/football/1282444/transfer-news-gossip-rumours-premier-league-manchester-united-liverpool-chelsea-arsenal-ronaldo-messi-mudryk-fernandez-felix/) [news, rumours and gossip with our LIVE transfer blog](https://talksport.com/football/1282444/transfer-news-gossip-rumours-premier-league-manchester-united-liverpool-chelsea-arsenal-ronaldo-messi-mudryk-fernandez-felix/) The Blues also forked out a £10m loan fee to secure the services of Felix until the end of the season. [sent off](https://talksport.com/football/1301527/joao-felix-sent-off-chelsea-debut-fulham-kenny-tete-hugh-grant/) on his debut in a [2-1 defeat at Fulham](https://talksport.com/football/1301498/willian-scores-former-club-chelsea-fulham-graham-potter/) on Thursday night.

Former Rangers player Ally McCoist thinks that Joao Felix was not the player Chelsea needed to change things this season.

The 60 year-old Scot believes that Chelsea should have gone for a different type of player: "They need a centre forward, plus I don’t think he’s consistent enough. The player saw a red card for a bad tackle and he will miss the next three matches. For McCoist, his signing was a mistake and not because he questions his quality.

After joining Chelsea on loan from Atletico Madrid, Joao Felix had a terrible first game because the Portuguese player was dismissed in a Fulham.

[David Coote](/topic/david-coote)for a reckless tackle. After being reduced to 10 men, Chelsea lost 2-1, and Felix's moment of insanity added to the pressure already placed on [Blues](/topic/blues)manager Graham Potter. Against who will those games be played?

Joao Felix endured a nightmare debut for Chelsea following his loan transfer from Atletico Madrid, with the Portuguese sent off in a derby at Fulham.

[shown a straight red card in the 58th minute](https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/joao-felix-red-card-nasty-challenge-chelsea-debut-fulham-premier-league-career-disaster/blt5f05a1bc13c8826a) following a reckless challenge on Kenny Tete. Having played less than an hour of competitive football for Chelsea, Felix will now be ruled out of Potter’s plans for upcoming Premier League fixtures against Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Fulham again. WHO WILL THOSE GAMES BE AGAINST?

Carlos Vinicius, a former Tottenham man himself, did celebrate his late goal that boosted Fulham up 2-1 and came as another ex-Londoner in Bernd Leno played ...

Below is the full schedule, as you can watch all 380 games across our NBC platforms. There is a new solidity to United and Erik ten Hag has generated huge belief they can challenge for trophies and finish in the top four this season. Said Benrahma is tied for the team league in PL goals, with three, and scored in the FA Cup win over Brentford. Having 19-year-old midfielder Romeo Lavia back fit and firing is huge for Saints. Jordan Pickford continues to do his best in goal, while Demarai Gray is a real threat on the counter. The jury is still out on Nathan Jones from most Saints fans and that will be the case until they move off the bottom of the table and start to pick up points in the Premier League. They have been better defensively for most of this season but last time out against Brighton they conceded four and it could have been more. There is growing fan unrest, once again, as the Evertonians have hit out at owner Farhad Moshiri, long-time chairman Bill Kenwright and the rest of the Everton board. We have to keep working. We have to just keep going. “There’s a reaction from the side and it’s a forward’s tackle, shall we say, and there was too much malice in it. Fulham has five straight in all competitions, beating Palace, Southampton, Leicester, Hull CIty (FA Cup), and now Chelsea.

Express Sport readers have backed Man Utd and Chelsea over a few transfer decisions this month.

The Blues have won just one of their last nine Premier League games and were stuffed 4-0 by Manchester City in the FA Cup. A clear 82 per cent majority back Chelsea in not yet paying the full amount for Fernandez. Chelsea had offered a huge proposal that was structured over 12 months, but Benfica want at least the majority of the money up front. Chelsea have since chosen not to make a fresh bid. [Manchester United](/latest/manchester-united-fc) have been backed for their decision to not sign Joao Felix in a lucrative loan deal from Atletico Madrid. Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag has demanded that the club sign a new striker in January, but the experienced Weghorst was preferred over the expensive Felix.