'Great pass' - Alejandro Garnacho praises Chelsea teammate for important assist vs Wrexham
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Alejandro Garnacho praised Chelsea teammate Dario Essugo for creating his extra-time goal that helped secure a difficult win over 10-man Wrexham in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Championship-side Wrexham really made Chelsea work for their ticket to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
The hosts had the lead twice and even forced the game to extra time despite George Dobson's late red card.
From Chelsea's perspective, a win is a win, but Garnacho's strong performance was clearly among the few positives they could take from the match.
The left winger caused a lot of problems for Wrexham's defence throughout the game, and it was his strike that led to Chelsea's first equaliser, before he took the lead for Chelsea in extra time.
However, Garnacho admitted that it was among the toughest challenges Chelsea have faced.
"Incredible win. I think it was one of the hardest games of the season so far," the Argentina international told BBC One after the game.
"We are proud, and we are in the next round."
Timing the volley perfectly 👌
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 7, 2026
Alejandro Garnacho gives @ChelseaFC the lead for the first time on the night.
📺 @BBCMOTD, @footballontnt and @discoveryplusuk pic.twitter.com/MkSeeWi4mn
On his goal, Garnacho added: "I think it was a great goal and a great pass from Dario (Essugo).
"I am really happy. These games are different.
"You have to fight, and the opposition played really good."
352 days after signing for the club, Dário Essugo is on to make his @chelseafc domestic debut 💙
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 7, 2026
📺 @BBCMOTD, @footballontnt and @discoveryplusuk pic.twitter.com/UVTPODsgbN
It was Essugo's first Chelsea appearance since the Club World Cup in the summer.
The 20-year-old joined Chelsea from Sporting in the summer and had to miss the majority of this season due to a serious thigh injury.
It is quite impressive that he managed to make such an impact, bagging two assists in his first game in about eight months.
In addition to Essugo's return, fellow midfielder Romeo Lavia also made his first start in four months for Chelsea, and their presence is a huge boost to Chelsea's midfield for the remainder of the season.
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.