Chelsea fight back twice to beat 10-man Wrexham 4-2 in FA Cup thriller

Chelsea FC twice came from behind to avoid a major upset as they defeated Wrexham AFC 4–2 after extra time to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Saturday.

With celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney watching from the stands at STōK Cae Ras, the Welsh side looked on course for a famous victory when Sam Smith fired them into the lead in front of a passionate home crowd.

Chelsea responded before half-time when a fortunate own goal brought the visitors level after a move involving Alejandro Garnacho, whose effort eventually deflected into the net off goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.

In a match reported by ESPN, Wrexham regained the lead late in the second half when Callum Doyle produced an improvised finish to spark hopes of a memorable cup upset.

However, Chelsea struck back again just four minutes later through Josh Acheampong, who blasted the ball into the roof of the net after George Dobson lost possession.

The contest turned further in Chelsea’s favour when Dobson was sent off following a VAR review for a high challenge on Garnacho.

Chelsea made their numerical advantage count in extra time as João Pedro and Garnacho scored to secure the victory and send the London club into the last eight.

Wrexham thought they had equalised late in the game when Lewis Brunt found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR check in a dramatic finish.

Despite the defeat, it was another memorable moment in Wrexham’s remarkable rise under Parkinson’s leadership. The club, currently sixth in the EFL Championship, had already knocked out Nottingham Forest earlier in the competition and were playing in the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in 29 years.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca had made nine changes to his side ahead of their upcoming UEFA Champions Leagueclash with Paris Saint-Germain, leaving key players such as Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández out of the squad.

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