Chelsea rallied on two occasions to avert an FA Cup upset, securing a 4-2 triumph after an additional period against Wrexham, who were playing with ten men, on Saturday.
With renowned proprietors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac present, the aspiring Welsh club envisioned a memorable victory when they went ahead at a boisterous STōK Cae Ras, courtesy of Sam Smith.
A stroke of luck via an own goal enabled the uninspired Londoners to draw level, but Wrexham’s aspirations were reignited with an unconventional strike from Callum Doyle with barely twelve minutes remaining.
However, fate had other plans. Josh Acheampong restored parity once more, and Alejandro Garnacho alongside João Pedro clinched Chelsea’s place in the last eight during extra time, after the hosts had George Dobson dismissed.
The home side felt they were worthy of a better outcome, believing they had leveled the score at 3-3 before Pedro’s subsequent goal via Lewis Brunt. Nevertheless, his effort was adjudged marginally offside by VAR in a thrilling conclusion.
It was a crushing manner for Wrexham’s journey in the competition to conclude, but nonetheless, the event signified another significant milestone in their extraordinary ascent.
Wrexham, having already eliminated Premier League Nottingham Forest in the current tournament, were participating in the FA Cup round of 16 for the first time in 29 years.
Yet, Phil Parkinson’s squad, presently occupying sixth place in England’s second tier, will now return to their primary goal: securing an unparalleled fourth consecutive promotion and a spot alongside Chelsea in the Premier League.
Moreover, the recollection of how they nearly toppled the current global club titleholders could also fortify their resolve through their promotion bid.
Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Considering Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea introduced nine new players and rested key figures such as Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo, and Enzo Fernández back at base.
As a result, their first-half performance lacked cohesion, and Wrexham capitalized.
Their straightforward tactic yielded dividends after 18 minutes as Smith connected with a long ball from Doyle, drilling a powerful effort past Robert Sánchez from 18 yards.
Chelsea’s leveler arrived unexpectedly after 40 minutes and was heavily aided by good fortune.
Liam Delap skillfully pivoted and initiated an attack from halfway, but Garnacho’s shot seemed harmless until it was desperately cleared from the goal line by George Thomason, deflecting into the goal via goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.
The second half was a back-and-forth contest, with both sides creating a plethora of opportunities.
Wrexham believed they were due a spot-kick when a shot from Ollie Rathbone appeared to strike the arm of Marc Guiu.
The hosts spectacularly regained their advantage with Doyle’s superb, intuitive strike. Josh Windass launched an attempt into a congested box after Chelsea couldn’t effectively defend a set piece, and Doyle responded superbly to deftly chip beyond Sánchez.
But their lead lasted a mere four minutes as Acheampong rifled into the top corner after Dobson misplaced the ball.
Neto struck the woodwork as Chelsea pressed for a decisive goal, and Dobson’s evening deteriorated further as he was shown a red card following video assistant referee consultation for a reckless tackle on Garnacho.
Max Cleworth could have claimed a late win for the short-handed side in injury time, but his fierce effort was straight at Sanchez. Chelsea then capitalized on their numerical superiority in the initial phase of the additional half-hour.
Garnacho struck home on the volley from point-blank range following a Dário Essugo delivery.
Wrexham believed they had drawn level at 3-3 when Brunt converted from Kieffer Moore’s flicked header, but he was adjudged fractionally offside.
Phil Parkinson’s men continued to press, but Pedro delivered the decisive blow.
PA provided input for this account.