Daniel Wass’ Cross Goes into the Net as Valencia Draw against Chelsea at Home

Two chances that seemed tap ins, a penalty that was saved meant that Valencia were trailing to Chelsea at home in Game week 5 of the UEFA Champions League.

The game was an open one with both teams creating chances from the first minute. Willian had great chance to put Chelsea ahead when he found himself unmarked inside the box early in the first half. But he could not control his header and the ball went over the top.

After a few chances at both ends, Valencia opened the scoring with Carlos Soler in theth minute . However, they remained in front for just a minute, when Mateo Kovacic put one into the bottom corner from outside the box.

Five minutes into the second half, Christian Pulisic put Chelsea in front with a goal that Chelsea could celebrate twice- thanks to the intervention from VAR.

By this time, Valencia striker Gomez had missed a tap in, which was looking bigger by the minute. To make matters worse, Gomez’s partner up front Rodrigo missed another tap in and Daniel Parejo had his penalty saved.

Just when Valencia were ruing their missed opportunities, an attempted cross from Daniel Wass went above Kepa Arizabalaga and into the far corner.

“It was certainly a fluke,” Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said of the goal after the game. “He didn’t mean to score and that makes it more difficult for the goalkeeper because they don’t expect to go off the far top corner.”

Lampard also backed his goalkeeper over the goal and praised him for the penalty save.

The cross came in too high for him,” he said. “I know there might be the feeling he pulled his hands away, I’m not sure he would have got there anyway.

“I will have to look at it again and Kepa will be the best one because he’s very honest with himself and if he feels he could have got it then I’m sure he would say that. ‘But we can’t look away from the penalty save. It wasn’t just a standard penalty save, it was a fantastic one and that’s what top keepers do to save you points.”

The draw combined with Ajax’s over Lille means that Chelsea are third in Group H, but Lampard was happy that their qualification fate still remains in their own hands with a game against Lille at Stamford Bridge to go.

“You respect the opponent, the Champions League and how tough it is, and respect a stadium like this,” Lampard said. “It was a really tough match. But it does keep it in our hands. Now it is on us in the last game at home to Lille. There were positives and negatives out of the game but that is a positive.”