West Ham captain Declan Rice was full of praise for Chelsea forward Joao Felix after coming up against the Portuguese international at the weekend.

The January arrival from Atletico Madrid got on the scoresheet at the London Stadium, but it was the player’s movement that really impressed Rice:

“I’ve played against a lot of midfielders and No.10s and the first 10 or 15 minutes today as a player you know a top player. The way he worked from side to side to get on the ball and find space he’s an unbelievable player. I noticed that straight away. You have to be really on your game with players like him.”

Felix seems very much at home playing in the no 10 role and he will be hoping that manager Graham Potter keeps him in the same position for upcoming matches.

Against West Ham, he linked up well with his teammates, especially Mykhailo Mudryk, and he was heavily involved in everything Chelsea did in the final third of the pitch.

Of course, there are question marks over whether the Blues can afford to have a no.10 in the team, considering it does mean there is less protection in midfield.

After a strong start, Chelsea’s attacking threat did diminish as the match went on, with the Hammers getting to grips with the system. Getting the best out of Felix whilst finding the right balance defensively will be a problem that Potter will have to solve.