Chelsea were the enemies of the footballing world over the weekend when they defied a plucky Wrexham side in the FA Cup fifth round, needing extra-time to get the job done.
The Blues were second best for much of the 90 minutes, however Josh Acheampong’s goal dragged them to extra-time against 10 men.
From here, Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro scored, with the introduction of the latter to the game being the real difference between the sides.
Chelsea player ratings vs Wrexham 1️⃣-🔟
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Chelsea player ratings vs Wrexham with Joao Pedro clapping the fans
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Gary Lineker wants FA Cup ties to go straight to penalties after Chelsea vs Wrexham
Having another 30 minutes to play was the killer for the Championship side, although Gary Lineker has admitted he would love to see a rule change in the competition following this.
He told ‘The Rest is Football’ that he would like to see FA Cup ties go straight to penalties if they are still level after 90 minutes.
Wrexham v Chelsea - Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round
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He said: “Yeah. I mean, extra time in these FA Cup ties. I always think, just go straight to penalties.
“Particularly when you’re broadcasting, because obviously the time is ticking on, you need to, you only get home at some point. And generally, extra time, you know, well, it did sort it out, obviously, in the Wrexham vs Chelsea game that we’ll come to in a while. But I don’t know about extra time.
Alan Shearer, who provided commentary for Chelsea’s game, agreed, saying: “I’m about the same, especially with all the games and everything that’s going on. And just, yeah, I would be in favour of just going straight to penalties.
“I also think it gives the smaller clubs a little bit more of a chance.”
There was also criticism of VAR being used due to it coming to Chelsea’s aid. George Dobson was sent off after VAR intervention, as well as a goal for Lewis Brunt being disallowed for a narrow offside.
Chelsea huge favourites for another Wembley visit
As a reward for Chelsea’s victory over Wrexham, they have been handed a quarter-final tie against Port Vale at Stamford Bridge.
Bottom of League One, the Blues are facing the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, avoiding the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Liam Rosenior will make sure his side are not understating the test ahead of them, but they should certainly fancy themselves to make it through and set up a semi-final.
Despite only just coming in, the manager will be under pressure to deliver results instantly, and a trophy in his first season will be a great way to answer his early critics.
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