FA Cup: Chelsea need extra time to defeat Wrexham 4-2
What's the story
Chelsea FC narrowly defeated Wrexham in a thrilling FA Cup fifth-round tie at Cae Ras. The match saw six goals, a red card, and a near upset for the Premier League side. Despite being pushed to the brink, Chelsea managed to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the tournament after last winning it in 2019.
Match highlights
Wrexham take the lead twice in normal time
Wrexham took the lead twice in normal time, despite later being reduced to 10 men. The first goal came from Sam Smith, who capitalized on Chelsea's high defensive line. However, winger Alejandro Garnacho equalized for Chelsea with an own goal by Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo. The second half saw a flurry of action as Callum Doyle put Wrexham ahead again before Josh Acheampong leveled the score for Chelsea just minutes later.
Game-changing moment
VAR intervenes for red card, gives Chelsea advantage
The game took a decisive turn when video assistant referee (VAR) intervened, leading to a red card for Wrexham's George Dobson. The midfielder was sent off for a high challenge on Garnacho in the 93rd minute. This gave Chelsea an advantage going into extra time, where Garnacho scored the winner with a volley from Dario Essugo's cross.
Final moments
Joao Pedro seals the win for Chelsea
Despite a late scare from Wrexham's Lewis Brunt, who was denied by VAR for offside, Chelsea held on to their lead. Joao Pedro added another goal for Chelsea in the dying minutes of the match, sealing a hard-fought 4-2 victory. The win not only secured Chelsea's place in the FA Cup quarter-finals but also extended their unbeaten streak against lower league teams to 25 matches.
Information
Pedro races to 21 goals for Chelsea this season
In 43 matches for Chelsea across all competitions, Pedro has raced to 21 goals, including 18 this season from 39 matches.
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Here are the match stats
Wrexham had 19 attempts with 5 shots on target. The Blues had 7 shots on target from 21 attempts. Chelsea's 43 touches in the oppositon box was more than Wrexham's 27. Chelsea had 68.10% ball possession.