Chelsea struggled to defeat the lower-tier team after 120 minutes

Chelsea faced an exceptionally tough game against Wrexham, needing 120 minutes to win 4-2, thus preventing a significant shock and earning a ticket to the subsequent FA Cup round.

Chelsea had to endure 120 arduous minutes to overcome Wrexham 4-2 in the FA Cup fifth round. The Premier League side nearly caused a major upset by trailing twice to the lower-ranked opponent and only decided the match in extra time.

Wrexham started confidently at home and quickly surprised as Smith scored the opening goal for the hosts. Chelsea swiftly equalized through a goal from goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo's error, but Wrexham continued to excite the crowd when Callum Doyle's precise strike gave the Welsh team a second lead.

The match truly shifted when Wrexham had to play with a reduced squad after George Dobson's red card. Capitalizing on the numerical advantage, Chelsea pressed hard and leveled 2-2 thanks to Josh Acheampong's goal, forcing both teams into extra time.

During the additional period, Chelsea's squad's quality finally shone. Joao Pedro scored a crucial goal before Alejandro Garnacho sealed the 4-2 victory, helping the visitors advance.

After the match, Garnacho admitted Chelsea had faced an extremely challenging test. “This is a fantastic win. I think this was one of our toughest matches this season. Games like this are always very different; you have to fight until the end, and Wrexham played very well,” the Argentine player shared.

Despite the defeat, Wrexham left much regret as they had a chance to equalize 3-3 late in the game, but Lewis Brunt's goal was disallowed for offside. The Welsh team caused numerous difficulties for Chelsea and only succumbed when their stamina declined in extra time.

Having overcome the arduous challenge, Chelsea officially secured their place in the next round of the FA Cup. However, the labored performance against a lower-tier opponent will certainly prompt the London club to reflect deeply if they aim to progress further in this competition.