Valencia 2-2 Chelsea - We thought City was Playstation Football!
Champions League games are tight, tense and subdued affairs aren’t they? This one was the complete opposite with FOUR goals, VAR decisio...
https://www.chelseadaft.org/2019/11/valencia-2-2-chelsea-we-thought-city.html
I described the game against Manchester City as Playstation football at times last weekend and if anything, this was even worse. Two teams knowing that a defeat would be costly, took the game to each other to fight for the important three points and treated all of us to a cracking game of football.
However, as the weeks go by and the same issues still remain, we need to look at our defending at times because it really is our Achilles heel ( Look out for the second post appearing on the site shortly to discuss in much more detail). Chelsea are too open at the moment at the back and it’s costing us results. For example, of the five group games we have played so far, we have scored nine goals and conceded eight!
Going forward and through midfield Chelsea under Frank Lampard are a totally revolutionised team under Frank Lampard. We are vibrant, we are exciting, we move the ball quickly, run at the opposition and create numerous chances as we did here this evening, if only one of those went in to make it 3-1 to see us home.
It wasn’t to be on the night but we have to be honest and acknowledge the fact that we rode our luck on numerous occasions with the Valencia strikers missing what seemed like tap-ins/open-goals twice, being awarded our second goal via VAR when the initial angle looked debatable and Kepa making a fantastic save from a penalty that should never have been given in the first place.
Frank Lampard’s team selection was a surprise with the inclusion of Christian Pulisic as I thought that Mason Mount would get the nod instead. Everyone else starting the game was as predicted in my pre-match preview video posted yesterday lunchtime.
Overall, Chelsea to a man played well, there were one or two that struggled to find their level in the game but were decent enough - Christensen, Batshuayi and Emerson. Everyone else in my view were graded a 7 out of 10 on the night apart from one man - Mateo Kovacic who was quite simply outstanding - 9 out of 10 for me. He was everywhere with the ball and without it. He has become such an influence here in our team and it was so pleasing to see him score his first Chelsea goal.
Chelsea created some really good openings in the game and some really good chances. The Valencia goalkeeper made two remarkable saves one from Tammy Abraham in the first half and the other from Kovacic in the second. Our approach play at times was excellent and in a difficult place to go, we cause their side plenty of problems. Our goals and the way we played are the positives we must take from this one. The problem is, there are also some important negatives to consider and we have to work on these (as we know Frank and Jody will) moving forward.
So after all this we find ourselves third in the group level on points with Valencia in second - both with eight points. Ajax beat Lille tonight to sit on ten points in the group and they know that they still need to avoid defeat to Valencia on the final match-day to go through. Valencia must beat Ajax knowing that Chelsea are in a strong position facing Lille at home - a team who haven’t won a game in the group stages to this point.
The good thing is, it’s still in our hands. We just need to get the job done in a couple of weeks time.
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