Alejandro Garnacho's stunning volley and Joao Pedro's late strike saw Chelsea survive a major scare to beat Wrexham 4-2 after extra time in an FA Cup classic at the Racecourse Ground. The Premier League side twice came from behind before VAR intervened to deny the hosts a dramatic equaliser.
Wrexham took the lead through Sam Smith after a goalkeeping error, but Chelsea equalised via an Arthur Okonkwo own goal. Callum Doyle restored Wrexham's advantage with a clever finish, only for Josh Acheampong to level four minutes from time. George Dobson was sent off in extra time for a dangerous challenge on Garnacho, who then volleyed Chelsea ahead. Lewis Brunt thought he had equalised for Wrexham, but his 114th-minute header was ruled out for offside by VAR, before Joao Pedro sealed the win.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson expressed frustration at the red card and disallowed goal, saying: 'He's in a great position to see the initial incident and I think it's very harsh.' Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior defended the decisions, stating: 'They're both correct decisions for me. Any challenge that's dangerous is a dangerous challenge.'
The victory sets up a fourth-round tie for Chelsea, while Wrexham can be proud of their performance despite the defeat.
