Chelsea suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat to Valencia in Tuesday’s Champions League clash.
Valenica’s victory means Frank Lampard’s men are yet to pick up a win in any home game, in all competition’s this season.
The 2012 Champions started the game on a front foot and were unlucky not to take the lead, no thanks to Valencia goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen who saved Tammy Abraham’s near-post flick.
Cillessen was called into action late on the second half, as he made a daredevil, one-handed save to keep out a fierce drive from Willian.
However, the pendulum will swing in the opponent’s favor inside the 74th minute, when Rodrigo raced onto Daniel Parejo’s chipped free-kick and fired the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
The drama reached fever pitch five minutes from time when Chelsea’s players appealed for a handball, and replays indeed show Fikayo Tomori’s header had struck the hand of a defender.
After a consulting VAR, Referee Cüneyt Çakιr pointed to the spot for the penalty. Substitute, Ross Barkley crashed his effort against the cross bar.
The defeat means Frank Lampard becomes Chelsea’s first manager to lose his first Champions League match in charge – 10 of the previous 11 had won, while Gianluca Vialli drew with Milan in 1999.
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