Chelsea Edge Wrexham in FA Cup Thriller

0:00On March 7, Chelsea edged out Rexam in a thrilling FA Cup third round match that went to extra time, winning four goals to two after a disallowed, late equalizer. The Premier League side faced a tough fight from the ambitious league-1 underdogs who led twice in normal time before Chelsea clawed back. It marked the first use of video assistant referee at Rexham Stadium, leading to key interventions. Some struck first through Sam Smith after 18 minutes, capitalizing on a goalkeeper error. Chelsea leveled when they shot the flick of the Rexam keeper Arthur O'Conquo into his own net. Callum Doyle put the host ahead again with a clever finish, but Josh Ackiampong equalized late to force extra time. A red card to Rexam's George Dopson, upgraded by VAR for a foul on Alejandro Garnacho, gave Chelsea a man advantage. Garnacho then volied home to put the visitors ahead. Some thought they tied it when Lewis Brunt headed in during the 114th minute, but VAR ruled it offside by a narrow margin.

1:02Chelsea manager Liam Roseneer backed both VAR calls as correct, praising Rexham's strong performance and admitting his team needed luck. Rexham boss Phil Parkinson called the red card harsh, but expressed pride in his squad's effort against top flight opposition. Despite the heartbreak, Rexham can take heart from matching Chelsea's stride for stride, filling their push for a four straight promotion toward the Premier League spotlight.