The England midfielder denied the Blues the chance to potentially secure a draw in their Champions League opener.

Chelsea's return to the UEFA Champions League was not met with a desirable outcome as the Blues slumped to a surprise 1-0 defeat at home to Valencia. The test inside Stamford Bridge was met with an anti-climax with Ross Barkley squandering a glorious opportunity to secure at least a point for the hosts.

For a lengthy period, Willian's attempt in the first-half which was saved by Valencia's Jasper Cillessen proved to be the biggest highlight of the encounter after Mason Mount hobbled off in the early minutes with a foot injury. Nevertheless, that did not last as Valencia managed to open the scoring with a cleverly executed free-kick which was finished off by Rodrigo in the 74th minute.

Nine minutes later a penalty decision went in favor of the Blues after a VAR check which confirmed that Tomori's goal-bound header hit the hand of a Valencia player. Ross Barkley, who only made his way into the game as Mateo Kovacic's replacement, accepted the mandate to take the kick but saw his attempt rattle the woodwork. 

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