Manuel Pellegrini believes that Andriy Yarmolenko’s header might have been easier to score than miss.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, reported by Football.London, Pellegrini admitted Yarmolenko spurned a major chance.
Yarmolenko’s miss
West Ham had kept Chelsea at bay well and nullified their threats. But it was the Hammers who had the best chances of the afternoon.
The best opportunity of the whole game fell to Yarmolenko. The Ukraine winger was the hero last weekend as West Ham beat Everton 3-1.
And he could have followed that up with another goal to cap a fine individual performance with just 10 minutes left on the clock at the time.
Robert Snodgrass had the ball on the left and curled a perfect cross into the path of the onrushing Yarmolenko.
The 28-year-old escaped his marker, stayed onside and was in the perfect spot to head the ball in from five yards out. But he somehow missed the target and the game headed to a 0-0 draw.
Pellegrini’s words
Pellegrini spoke about major chances in both halves. He recalled Michail Antonio’s close range strike which was saved and then Alvaro Morata’s poked effort which Lukasz Fabianski blocked.
He said: “Maybe a goal was more easier than more difficult, but chances are chances. Maybe he relaxed a bit more.
“But there were two very clear chances in the first half. They had one clear chance where Lukasz saved from Morata. Always difficult to score.”
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