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Chelsea saw safe passage to the Champions League knockout stages slip agonizingly away as Daniel Wass\u2019 fluke stole Valencia a 2-2 draw at the Mestalla.<\/p>\nChelsea saw safe passage to the Champions League knockout stages slip agonizingly away as Daniel Wass\u2019 fluke stole Valencia a 2-2 draw at the Mestalla.<\/p>\n
England striker Tammy Abraham was taken to hospital after a nasty-looking fall on a night where the Blues thought Christian Pulisic\u2019s nudged finish would sneak them into the European top tier\u2019s last 16.<\/p>\n
Abraham suffered a suspected internal injury after falling awkwardly on his hip, no doubt adding to boss Frank Lampard\u2019s frustrations as Valencia gained the greater boost in Group H from the draw.<\/p>\n
Mateo Kovacic fired his first Chelsea goal on his 71st Blues appearance, cancelling out Carlos Soler\u2019s opener.<\/p>\n
Jorginho was lucky to escape a second yellow card and a dismissal for the foul on Jose Gaya that gifted Valencia a second-half penalty. Captain Dani Parejo stepped up for the spot-kick only to see Kepa Arrizabalaga pull off a fine save.<\/p>\n
Maxi Gomez missed a hat-trick of first-half sitters as Valencia paid the price for shocking profligacy, but just when Chelsea started to home in on victory up popped Wass.<\/p>\n
The Denmark midfielder\u2019s lofted cross drifted away from his intended target but instead over Kepa and into the net, stealing Valencia a draw to thwart Chelsea at the last.<\/p>\n
Rodrigo\u2019s glaring miss at the death could even have sealed Valencia\u2019s place in the last 16, but a compelling, gritty game somehow ended even.<\/p>\n
Victory here would have sent Chelsea into the knockout phase with a group game to spare, but now the Blues must wait to secure their passage into the last-16.<\/p>\n
Gomez should have had a first-half hat-trick, but was left instead to boot the advertising hoardings in frustration.<\/p>\n
At least he did not fail to connect with those touchline boards, because he struggled to hit anything else.<\/p>\n
Chelsea started brightly with Willian and Abraham both unable to convert teasing crosses from James.<\/p>\n
But once Valencia settled, the middle third of the half turned into Gomez\u2019s profligacy show.<\/p>\n
Parejo sent Rodrigo racing down the inside right and his delicious cross left Gomez salivating on a far-post tap-in. The charitable description would be that he tripped, but in truth he kicked his feet together and the ball trickled past an open goal and to safety.<\/p>\n
The Uruguay star at least connected with a header, but could not steer it away from Kepa, and when the Chelsea stopper deflected his point-blank effort he was left to kick out at the only thing left within range, those advertising boards.<\/p>\n
Chelsea came again, Abraham firing wide from another James cross and then seeing a fine snap shot tipped over the bar by Jasper Cillessen after Kante\u2019s cute flick.<\/p>\n
Winger Soler broke the deadlock when Kepa could not keep out his flicked finish despite reaching the effort with enough of a palm to feel frustrated not to complete the save.<\/p>\n
But in a flash and out of the blue Chelsea were level, back on terms in less than a minute. Kovacic controlled well on the edge of the area and drilled home a fine, accurate finish.<\/p>\n
The former Real Madrid man then jumped straight from breaking his Blues duck to almost doubling his club tally, only to see his close-range effort rebuffed after Pulisic had played him in on the left.<\/p>\n
Abraham was carried from the field on a stretcher to end the half, with Michy Batshuayi on in his stead after the interval.<\/p>\n
The personnel change did not disrupt Chelsea\u2019s attacking flow however and Lampard\u2019s men quickly stole the lead.<\/p>\n
Pulisic turned in Zouma\u2019s knock down, squeezing the ball under Cillessen. The assistant referee raised his offside flag, but after a lengthy VAR check the goal was awarded.<\/p>\n
Valencia rallied and Rodrigo fluffed an attempted lob after Kepa and Christensen were caught in a muddle, with the failed effort a big reprieve for both.<\/p>\n
Jorginho was lucky to escape a second booking and red card when conceding a penalty for a clumsy challenge on Gaya, leaving the hosts incensed that the Brazil star remained on the field.<\/p>\n
Home skipper Parejo stepped up for the spot kick, only to see Kepa pull off a stunning save.<\/p>\n
Just as Chelsea thought they could see out the pivotal victory, Wass launched a cross into the area that hung so high as to drift over Kepa and into the net.<\/p>\n
The stunned visitors toiled away in search of a late winner but to no avail, and Rodrigo even had time to fluff another far-post tap-in.<\/p>\n