Chelsea survived a big scare and defeated Wrexham in a dramatic encounter that required extra time after finishing 2-2 after 90 minutes. Wrexham appeared to be on the verge of pulling off an upset when Callum Doyle put them ahead in the 78th minute. However, the Blues found a lifeline at the last moment thanks to defender Josh Acheampong, who leveled the score in the 82nd minute.

In the 93rd minute, VAR intervened to send off Dobson for a harsh tackle to stop a quick counterattack, giving the visitors a numerical advantage just before the match went into extra time.

The momentum shifted afterward, with Garnacho scoring in the 96th minute to give Chelsea the lead. Brazilian striker Joao Pedro sealed the victory with the fourth goal in the 120th+5 minute. Chelsea advances in its bid to dethrone the reigning champion, Crystal Palace, which defeated Manchester City in last season’s final.

Parkinson expressed his frustration after the final whistle, believing his team was on the verge of a historic upset before the sending-off. In statements to BBC Sport, he said: “In the second half, I think we were the better team, and I was sure we were going to win.

The referee showed a yellow card. I’m not sure about the rules; it’s the first time we have VAR, and it has to be clear to overturn it. I think the referee could have kept it as a yellow card.”

Despite the eventual 4-2 defeat, Wrexham showed it can compete with the elite. Goals from Doyle and an early strike from Sam Smith kept the Welsh team in the fight throughout 120 frantic minutes of football. Parkinson was effusive in his praise for the effort put in by his players against Liam Rosenior’s team.

“I am very satisfied with the way we performed tonight,” Parkinson added. “We showed many positive aspects in our game and we played great football. We didn’t just come here to contain Chelsea; we believe we can play. It frustrated us not to reach halftime with the lead. The lads gave it their all tonight and playing extra time with 10 men is really tough.”

Although the defeat marks the end of their FA Cup journey, the performance has reinforced the team’s belief that it is destined for higher levels. Defender Doyle admitted the red card was the turning point but insisted that focus now returns to their primary objective: moving up the football pyramid.

Referring to the team’s long-term ambitions, Doyle told BBC Sport: “It’s tough to take on a top-tier team. I think we did very well until the final part of the match. The sending-off didn’t help us. It’s a great test, and they’re a great top-flight team, and it’s a good test for us against the best players. We have another match on Tuesday, so we have to move on. Hopefully that’s the aim, but we have to keep pushing.”

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