Chelsea came from behind twice before winning an FA Cup classic at Wrexham courtesy of extra-time goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro.
The fifth round tie swung this way and that as our Championship hosts gave us a real scare at the Racecourse Ground. Sam Smith put the hosts in front on 18 minutes and we could probably count ourselves fortunate to go in level after Wrexham keeper Arthur Okonkwo was helpless to stop George Thomason’s clearance rebounding off him into the net.
Wrexham restored their advantage with just 11 minutes remaining through Callum Doyle’s clever flick, but the home fans’ hopes of an upset were quickly dashed when Josh Acheampong lashed a fine finish into the roof of the net.
Pedro Neto nearly won it in normal time but saw his shot come off the crossbar, before Wrexham were reduced to ten men for George Dobson’s dangerous challenge on Garnacho.
We capitalised on our numerical advantage early in extra-time when the winger, who impressed again, coolly volleyed in sub Dario Essugo’s cross.
Wrexham thought it was their turn to equalise with six minutes left but VAR showed Chris Brunt was fractionally offside when he turned the ball in at the far post. We finally made sure of the outcome in the 125th minute of a titanic Cup tie that will live long in the memory, Joao Pedro finishing with customary aplomb inside the box.
The name of Chelsea will be in the hat for Monday evening’s quarter-final draw – but only just!
Team news
With the fixtures coming thick and fast right now, Liam Rosenior made nine changes to the side that lined up at Villa Park in midweek. The head coach also altered our shape, deploying a back three.
Mamadou Sarr, Tosin Adarabioyo – who captained – and Benoit Badiashile were the trio ahead of Robert Sanchez, back between our posts. Acheampong and Jorrel Hato lined up at wing-back, with both afforded opportunities to invert.
Romeo Lavia was handed his first start since coming back from injury, and was joined in the middle of the park by Andrey Santos.
Liam Delap led the line with Pedro Neto to his right and Garnacho on the opposite flank, looking to pick up where he left off at Villa Park.
A frenzied atmosphere awaited the players at the Racecourse Ground, and there was a touching moment before kick-off as Joey Jones was celebrated with a mosaic. The Wrexham and Chelsea great died last year.
Wrexham hit the front
As expected, our hosts started with plenty of energy. Time on the ball was in short supply and our probing in the opening quarter-hour amounted to no opportunities of note.
Instead, it was Wrexham who took the lead with the first shot of the match. Doyle’s pass from the edge of his own box released Smith, who brought the ball down with his first touch and stroked a left-footed finish past Sanchez with his second. The Racecourse erupted, and did again moments later when VAR confirmed there was no offside.
In response, Neto’s far-post cross was met on the volley by Garnacho, who couldn’t steer it into Delap’s path. Okonkwo then smothered the ball before Hato could reach it.
It wasn’t quite happening for us in the final third, while the Red Dragons were content to turn possession over and break at speed. Smith got into a dangerous position before slipping, and then Lewis O’Brien’s deflected cross forced Sanchez to tip over.
Quality then fortune draws us level
Wrexham were looking a real threat so it came as a great relief when we levelled five minutes before the break. Delap collected Sanchez’s pass on halfway and did superbly to turn his man before finding Garnacho in space to his left. The Argentinean’s shot beat Okonkwo but not George Thomason on the line. However, his clearance struck the back of his own keeper and rebounded into the net.
We finished the half well on top and maintained that momentum when the teams reconvened for the second 45 minutes of what had been an absorbing Cup tie. Garnacho fired wide on his left after more good hold-up play from Delap, and the introduction of Marc Guiu for Sarr on the hour signalled a return to a back four.
We weathered a brief storm and went back on the attack, with Hato shooting a whisker wide after he and Neto had somehow escaped a tight spot near the byline.
With 25 minutes to play Essugo came on for his first appearance of the season, replacing Lavia, while Marc Cucurella was introduced in place of Hato.
Acheampong hits back
It was end to end stuff now, both teams throwing men forward in search of what they hoped would be the decisive moment. As it transpired, goals were traded in the space of three minutes as this Cup classic ramped up a notch!
Wrexham’s stemmed from a corner we didn’t fully clear. Sub Josh Windass’s shot was probably going to be comfortable for Sanchez until Doyle cleverly got the deftest of flicks on the ball to divert it into the net.
Starring down the barrel of a Cup shock, we reacted impressively, pinning the red shirts of Wrexham in their own third. Santos capitalised on a slip by Dobson to slip Acheampong in, and the youngster got the wrong side of his defender before crashing a shot into the roof of the net. It was a striker’s finish. Eight minutes plus stoppages remained.
Late drama
Joao Pedro and Malo Gusto entered the fray for the final throes, during which good chances would follow at both ends. Thomason saw his cross-shot well saved by Sanchez – Windass heading the rebound wide – while Neto’s thunderous strike hit the crossbar after Cucurella intelligently dummied Garnacho’s pass into the box.
As the tie ticked into six additional minutes, Garnacho’s attempts to break clear down our left were abruptly ended by Dobson. It was a dangerous and cynical challenge delivered with force, so it came as no surprise when referee Peter Bankes was advised by VAR to upgrade his decision from yellow card to red.
Into extra-time
We took advantage of our extra man six minutes into extra-time. Having worked the ball patiently from side to side, Essugo swung over a teasing delivery Garnacho gobbled up on the volley. The ball bounced straight out of the goal meaning much of the ground hadn’t realised it had gone in, but Garnacho’s celebration told the story. For the first time in the tie, we were ahead.
One final escape
The ten men of Wrexham still wouldn’t go away, and it required a vital block from Tosin to stop Kieffer Moore’s header going in with six minutes to play. From the resulting corner, Moore flicked the ball on and sub Lewis Brunt turned it in at the back post, sparking pandemonium. Thankfully, VAR showed the defender was just offside.
We had a reprieve, and another followed before the end when O’Brien’s curling effort beat Sanchez, but also the far post.
In the fifth minute of added time at the end of extra-time, Joao Pedro finally put the tie to bed when he swept a finish into the bottom corner. Once and for all, we could say victory was ours!
What it means
The Blues progress into the FA Cup quarter-finals. We will discover our opponents in Monday evening’s draw.
What’s next
A trip to the French capital to play Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of our Champions League Round of 16 tie.
Chelsea (3-4-3): Sanchez; Sarr (Guiu 58), Tosin (c), Badiashile; Acheampong (Gusto 85), Santos, Lavia (Essugo 65), Hato (Cucurella 65); Neto (Derry 100), Delap (Joao Pedro 85), Garnacho
Unused subs Sharman-Lowe, James, Chalobah
Scorers Okonkwo (own goal) 40, Acheampong 82, Garnacho 96, Joao Pedro 120+5
Booked Lavia 23, Santos 110, Garnacho 120
Wrexham (3-4-2-1): Okonwo; Cleworth (Keillor-Dunn 112), Hyam, Doyle (Brunt 106); Longman (Barnett 91), Dobson, Vyner (Broadhead 76), Thomason; Rathbone (Windass 66), O’Brien; Smith (Moore 66).
Unused subs Ward, Rodriguez, Scarr
Scorers Smith 18, Doyle 79, Brunt 114
Booked Thomason 101
Sent off Dobson 90+3
Referee Peter Bankes
Crowd 10,556