Chelsea Edge Wrexham In FA Cup After Extra-time As Garnacho And Joao Pedro Shine

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Chelsea reached the FA Cup quarter-finals after a tense 4-2 extra-time win over 10-player Wrexham, surviving two deficits and a late scare. Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro struck in extra-time, while George Dobson’s dismissal in the 93rd minute left Wrexham short-handed at a crucial stage of the contest.

Extra-time began with Chelsea trying to use the extra player, and the pressure finally told in the 96th minute. Dario Essugo delivered a precise cross from the right, and Garnacho met it with a firm volley past Arthur Okonkwo. Wrexham thought they had forced another twist when Lewis Brunt headed in after Kieffer Moore’s flick from a corner in the 114th minute, but the assistant flagged for offside and the goal was cancelled. With Wrexham stretched, Joao Pedro then settled matters in the 125th minute, finishing calmly beyond Okonkwo to secure Chelsea’s passage.

The turning point came deep into stoppage time at the end of normal play. Pedro Neto had already smashed a shot against the crossbar, underlining Chelsea’s growing control. Moments later, Dobson committed a late, high challenge on Garnacho. The referee initially showed a yellow card, but after a VAR review upgraded the sanction to a straight red, leaving Wrexham to face extra-time with 10 players.

Earlier, the Championship side had stunned Stamford Bridge by striking first in the 17th minute. Callum Doyle launched a long pass over the Chelsea defence, catching the back line flat. Sam Smith controlled neatly and finished beyond Robert Sanchez, who hesitated when advancing, and the Wrexham forward punished the indecision with a composed effort.

Chelsea dominated possession for much of the first half but levelled in messy fashion five minutes before the interval. Garnacho’s shot was cleared off the line by George Thomason, but the clearance cannoned straight against Okonkwo. The rebound bounced into the net, leaving the goalkeeper helpless and bringing Chelsea back into the tie before half-time.

After the break, Chelsea increased the tempo yet still fell behind again late on. In the 78th minute, Josh Windass struck from the edge of the area and Doyle instinctively diverted the effort past Sanchez, restoring Wrexham’s lead. The advantage lasted only four minutes. Josh Acheampong reacted quickest in a crowded box and drove a powerful shot into the roof of the net, making it 2-2 and setting up a frantic final spell of normal time.

Chelsea FA Cup numbers and xG data debrief

The result extends Chelsea’s strong record against lower-division opponents in this competition. Chelsea have now progressed from their last 25 FA Cup ties against sides from a lower division, since losing 4-2 to Bradford City in January 2015. Wrexham, however, matched Chelsea throughout and pushed the eight-time winners hard across 120 minutes.

Underlying numbers reflected Wrexham’s threat in front of goal. Wrexham had the better of the expected goals (xG) battle, registering a total of 1.8 from their 19 shots to Chelsea's 1.62 from their 21 attempts, with the Blues' individual quality in the final third proving to be the difference.

Garnacho again delivered on a major domestic stage. Garnacho provided the decisive moment with his first FA Cup goal since netting against Manchester City in the 2024 final for Manchester United. For Chelsea this season, the Argentine has scored five times in seven domestic cup appearances, compared with two goals across 25 matches in the Premier League and Champions League.

Discipline ultimately hurt Wrexham’s hopes of a famous result. Dobson became the first Wrexham player to be sent off in the FA Cup proper (first round onwards) since Luke Young against Newport County in December 2018. With Wrexham twice ahead, the dismissal shifted momentum firmly towards Chelsea, who used the extra player and greater depth to edge a demanding tie and move into the last eight.