Wrexham vs. Chelsea Player Ratings: Blues Pushed Hard in Thrilling FA Cup Clash

Chelsea narrowly avoided a major upset in their FA Cup fifth round tie with Wrexham, requiring extra time to beat their Championship hosts 4–2 in an enthralling tie.

Wrexham’s celebrity co-owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, watched on from the stands of the STōK Cae Ras and celebrated wildly as Sam Smith opened the scoring for the hosts with a composed finish, but an unfortunate own goal from goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo brought Chelsea level just before the half-time whistle.

The Red Dragons appeared set to secure a memorable scalp when center back Callum Doyle restored their lead, but Chelsea roared back with an immediate equalizer through the unlikely source of Josh Acheampong.

George Dobson’s red card—justifiably upgraded by VAR after an initial booking—just before extra time swung momentum in Chelsea’s favor, and Alejandro Garnacho fired home the decisive fifth goal of the game to punish the home side in the 96th minute.

Substitute Lewis Brunt thought he had forced the game to penalties as he nodded home from a corner following Kieffer Moore’s flick, but VAR denied him the equalizer after he was adjudged to be narrowly offside.

To rub salt in the Wrexham wounds, João Pedro continued his impressive goalscoring run with the last kick of the game, the Brazilian firing into the bottom corner as Liam Rosenior’s side unconvincingly booked their ticket to the FA Cup quarterfinal.

Winners and Losers

Winners

Sam Smith of Wrexham — Smith was on the scoresheet. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

Sam Smith provided Wrexham with an opener worthy of Hollywood. The 27-year-old plucked a gorgeous through ball out of the sky, outpaced Chelsea’s covering defenders and supplied a clinical finish to send the STōK Cae Ras into a frenzy. Just as crucial was Smith’s work out of possession, the striker pressing, harrying and wrestling at every opportunity.

The man who supplied the assist for Wrexham’s first, Callum Doyle, was also the provider of their second. The center back dazzled with two moments of sheer quality, his exquisite set up for Smith followed by an equally classy flick from Josh Windass’s initial shot—if he meant the latter, of course.

Few in Chelsea blue were particularly eye-catching for the right reasons in Wales, but Alejandro Garnahco was ultimately their difference-maker. The speedy Argentine was partially responsible for Okonkwo’s own goal following his initial strike, while it was a composed finish at the far post that provided Chelsea with their winner.

After an encouraging midweek display in the club’s victory over Aston Villa, it was another bright showing from Garnacho.

Losers

Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez — Robert Sánchez was unconvincing for Wrexham’s opening goal. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

A calamitous performance at Arsenal last weekend resulted in Robert Sánchez dropping to the bench midweek and the Spaniard did little to restore his reputation at the STōK Cae Ras. Wrexham’s delightful opener was made all the easier by Sánchez retreating to his goal line rather than confronting Smith—a decision that ultimately proved costly.

Chelsea supporters will have been pleased to see the return of Roméo Lavia to the starting lineup, the Belgian’s third appearance since his injury comeback. However, as was to be somewhat expected after a lengthy layoff and in ferocious circumstances, Lavia looked leggy in the center of the field, losing all three of his duels and being dispossessed twice during a dim display.

Unfortunately for Wrexham’s George Dobson, it ended up being an evening to forget. The midfielder’s aggression out of possession cost him his place on the field, a nasty lunge deservedly ending up with a red card that made life incredibly difficult for his teammates in extra time. To make matters worse, it was Dobson who surrendered the ball in the immediate build-up to Acheampong’s strike.

Wrexham Player Ratings vs. Chelsea (3-4-2-1)

Arthur Okonkwo of Wrexham — Okonkwo was unlucky to score an own goal. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images.

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Arthur Okonkwo—4.1: Completely helpless with his own goal and was surprisingly quiet for much of the match despite conceding four times.

CB: Max Cleworth—6.2: Performed admirably against Chelsea’s array of attacking stars, seldom putting a foot wrong. Tested Sánchez with a rasping drive from range moments before the end of regulation time.

CB: Dominic Hyam—5.9: Spun by Liam Delap in the build-up to Chelsea’s opener but generally enjoyed his muscular battle with the Chelsea striker.

CB: Callum Doyle—8.3: A lovely lofted pass that Cole Palmer would have been proud of caught out Chelsea’s high line, allowing Smith to break the deadlock. Capped an impressive display with a goal of his own.

RWB: Ryan Longman—6.3: Handed the challenging assignment of shackling Garnacho and it’s notable that the Chelsea winger scored after Longman’s departure.

CM: Zak Vyner—7.0: The center back by trade was handed a dream first start for his new employers, moving forward into midfield and effectively bolstering the engine room.

CM: George Dobson—6.3: An industrious performance was marred by Dobson gifting Chelsea possession for Acheampong’s leveler and then proceeding to be sent off.

LWB: George Thomason—7.3: Looked set to save the day as he cleared Garnacho’s shot off the line, only to thunder his clearance into the back of his own goalkeeper for Chelsea’s equalizer.

RF: Oliver Rathbone—5.9: Set the tone with his aggressive pressing of Chelsea’s central defenders, covering every blade of grass.

ST: Sam Smith—7.5: A sharp run, touch and finish handed Wrexham their lead and he proved a handful throughout for Chelsea’s defense.

LF: Lewis O’Brien—8.1: Pushed further forward and was crucial in Wrexham’s press. Classy when receiving the ball and almost scored from range at the death.

SUB: Josh Windass (65’ for Rathbone)—6.9: Almost scored when he headed narrowly wide but eventually assisted Doyle’s effort.

SUB: Kieffer Moore (66’ for Smith)—6.1: Less effective than Smith but was still willing to throw his weight around. Set up Wrexham’s offside goal in the dying embers.

SUB: Nathan Broadhead (76’ for Vyner)—6.7: Offered some necessary speed on the counter attack.

SUB: Ryan Barnett (91’ for Longman)—6.0: Struggled after arriving in tough circumstances.

SUB: Lewis Brunt (106’ for Doyle)—6.1: Thought he had equalized at the death, only to be denied by VAR.

SUB; Davis Keillor-Dunn (112’ for Cleworth)—N/A

Subs not used: Danny Ward (GK), Dan Scarr, Jay Rodriguez.

Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Wrexham (3-4-2-1)

Alejandro Garnacho — Garnacho was Chelsea’s hero on an awkward evening. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images.

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Robert Sánchez—6.2: A moment of indecision allowed Smith an unimpeded route to goal for the opener and Sánchez will find himself under the microscope once more.

CB: Mamadou Sarr—6.8: Much like his fellow center backs, Sarr saw too much of the ball as Chelsea struggled to penetrate Wrexham’s well-organized unit. Managed 92 touches prior to being substituted just before the hour-mark.

CB: Tosin Adarabioyo—7.7: Donning the captain’s armband, Adarabioyo brought little stability to Chelsea’s backline.

CB: Benoît Badiashile—7.3: Caught too high for Wrexham’s first-half strike and never looked entirely convincing when Wrexham went direct.

RWB: Josh Acheampong—8.1: Popped up with a crucial and well-taken strike to swiftly put Chelsea back on level terms, rattling into the roof of the net from close range.

CM: Andrey Santos—7.6: Another solid but unspectacular display from Santos, who often found himself bypassed by Wrexham’s direct approach. However, he did help tee up Acheampong for the second equalizer.

CM: Roméo Lavia—6.5: Understandably rusty on his first start since early November and a sloppy yellow card for pulling Zak Vyner’s shirt summed up his evening.

LWB: Jorrel Hato—6.7: Stepped into midfield as Rosenior changed system, rarely looking comfortable in advanced positions.

RF: Pedro Neto—8.3: Attempted to inject energy into Chelsea’s attacking play at every opportunity. Came close on one occasion as he thundered off the Wrexham crossbar but often lacked the necessary end product.

ST: Liam Delap—6.7: Crucial involvement in Chelsea’s equalizer was undermined by a cumbersome display on the whole.

LF: Alejandro Garnacho—8.7: Provided some much-needed spark in the final third for Chelsea, playing a key part in two of his side’s strikes and consistently stretching the Wrexham defense with his endeavor.

SUB: Marc Guiu (58’ for Sarr)—5.8: Involved infrequently as he struggled to stamp any authority on the match.

SUB: Dário Essugio (64’ for Lavia)—8.5: Performed well in his first appearance since the Club World Cup, assisting Garnacho with a beautiful cross and picking out Pedro late on.

SUB: Marc Cucurella (64’ for Hato)—6.7: Offered greater solidity when he arrived on the pitch to replace the struggling Hato.

SUB: João Pedro (85’ for Delap)—7.6: Another elegant showing from Pedro and got his customary goal in the final moments.

SUB: Malo Gusto (85’ for Acheampong)—6.3: Gifted a silly free kick to Wrexham in extra time that ultimately went unpunished.

SUB; Jesse Derry (100’ for Neto)—6.2: Hardly involved after coming on.

Subs not used: Teddy Sharman-Lowe (GK), Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah.

What the Ratings Tell Us

Jorrel Hato of Chelsea — Jorrel Hato struggled again. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

Jorrel Hato was asked to operate in an unfamiliar role as left wing back, tasked with offering an extra body in midfield when Chelsea had the ball, too. However, the Dutchman failed to make much of his starting opportunity and the recent return of Marc Cucurella will surely mean demotion to the bench for some critical upcoming fixtures.
Liam Delap may have been involved in Chelsea’s first goal, but he struggled to offer any response to João Pedro’s midweek hat-trick. Another quiet and largely ineffective display is a reminder of what the Blues lack without their prolific Brazilian up top.
Wrexham’s Lewis O’Brien was unfortunate to end up on the losing side. The midfielder, who has been crucial for the Red Dragons all season, showcased his quality throughout against the world champions, even coming desperately close to a wonderful late goal that would have taken the match to penalties.

The Numbers That Explain Chelsea’s Unconvincing Win

João Pedro — Chelsea were pushed hard by Wrexham despite winning. | Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC/Getty Images.

Chelsea produced an expected goals total of just 1.62 across 120 minutes in Wales, with their much-rotated forward line and shift to a 3-4-2-1 formation completely disrupting any attacking rhythm.
By contrast, Wrexham managed a higher xG of 1.80 despite registering fewer shots and efforts on target. They caused Chelsea real issues with their physical and direct game plan.
Chelsea had 68% possession but rarely troubled their hosts, often relying on turning back and recycling the ball to avoid succumbing to the Wrexham press.

Statistic	Wrexham	Chelsea
Possession	32%	68%
Expected Goals (xG)	1.80	1.62
Total Shots	19	21
Shots on Target	5	7
Big Chances	1	2
Passing Accuracy	79%	91%
Fouls Committed	11	6
Corners	9