Chelsea Avoids FA Cup Upset, Defeats Wrexham 4-2 in Extra Time

Wrexham’s fairytale run in the FA Cup came to an complete on Saturday, March 7, 2026, as they fell to Chelsea 4-2 after extra time in a thrilling fifth-round tie. Despite a spirited performance and twice taking the lead, the National League side were ultimately defeated by the Premier League giants ESPN.

Match Highlights

Sam Smith opened the scoring for Wrexham, delighting the home crowd. However, Chelsea quickly responded with an own goal from Arthur Okonkwo, leveling the score. Callum Doyle then restored Wrexham’s advantage, but Josh Acheampong equalized for Chelsea just four minutes later, sending the match to extra time BBC.

The turning point came with a red card for Wrexham’s George Dobson just before full-time. Playing with ten men, Wrexham struggled to contain Chelsea, who secured the victory with goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro in extra time ESPN.

Dramatic Finish and Close Call

The match was filled with drama, including a potential equalizing goal for Wrexham by Lewis Brunt that was narrowly ruled offside AP News. Chelsea co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were visibly invested in the match, celebrating Wrexham’s goals alongside the fans AP News.

Chelsea Advances

With this victory, Chelsea advances to the quarter-finals, reaching their seventh quarterfinal in the last 10 years ESPN.