Chelsea were pushed to the very brink at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday evening before booking their FA Cup quarter-final place with a hard-fought 4-2 extra-time victory over a spirited 10-man Wrexham, a result that flattered the Premier League side after a pulsating fifth-round encounter.
Sam Smith delighted the home crowd by opening the scoring for Wrexham in the first half, putting the Championship side ahead. Chelsea levelled when goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo turned the ball into his own net, and the teams went in at half-time level.
Wrexham regained the lead through Callum Doyle, who had also assisted Smith’s opener, diverting Josh Windass’ strike in with 12 minutes of normal time remaining. Chelsea responded almost instantly, with Josh Acheampong dancing into the box and crashing in an equaliser at the near post four minutes later to send the tie into extra time.
A red card for George Dobson in the 93rd minute, upgraded from yellow after a VAR review for a foul on Alejandro Garnacho, reduced Wrexham to 10 men and added a fresh layer of controversy. Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson was furious, saying: “I thought VAR was meant to be for clear and obvious decisions. It was a tight call and if that’s the case, you should leave it with the on-field decision.”
With Chelsea’s numerical advantage, Garnacho volleyed the Blues ahead for the first time in the tie in the 96th minute, with substitute Dario Essugo providing the assist.
Wrexham appeared to have levelled at 3-3 in the 114th minute when Lewis Brunt tapped home from close range, sending the Racecourse Ground into raptures, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside, a moment of crushing heartbreak for the hosts. Deep into added time of extra time, substitute João Pedro raced forward to net a fourth and seal Chelsea’s progression.
Co-owner Ryan Reynolds, who was present at the ground, paid tribute to his side on social media afterwards, writing: “Three years ago this week, we battled Maidenhead United to a draw. Today we pushed Chelsea to extra time. So incredibly proud.”
Wrexham, who had already eliminated Premier League side Nottingham Forest in this year’s competition, were playing in the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in 29 years. Phil Parkinson’s side, sitting sixth in the Championship, will now refocus on their bid for an unprecedented fourth consecutive promotion.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior admitted his side were fortunate. He described the win as “lucky,” pointing to two VAR decisions that went against the hosts as key turning points in the tie.
Chelsea now turn their attention to a Champions League Round of 16 clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
