Chelsea found themselves behind twice at Wrexham but still managed to come back and advance to the FA Cup quarter finals.
It took the visitors 120 minutes and an opposition sending off still in regulation to get the win. But they did as Liam Rosenior is still unbeaten as Blues boss against teams not named Arsenal.
There’s a lot to unpack here. While it was an alternate Chelsea lineup, that lacked a lot of leadership in most departments, the Championship side were better when it was 11v11, despite the 2-2 score.
How did Wrexham vs Chelsea unfold tactically?
Phil Parkinson’s man-to-man press stalls Blues
The main reason why Wrexham outplayed Chelsea is their out-of-possession work. Both teams went into the game with mirrored 3-4-3 formations.
Phil Parkinson deployed a clear and well-structured man-to-man press, denying time and space for any Blues player to work. It made life difficult for Liam Rosenior’s men, who could never advance with the ball on the ground as they like to do.
Every Wrexham midfielder deserves praise here. George Dobson and Zak Vyner glued onto Andrey Santos and Romeo Lavia, basically taking them out of the game. Meanwhile, Lewis O’Brien and Oliver Rathbone took Chelsea’s build-up out of the picture by latching onto the wide centre-backs.
Dabble sign-up offer: Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets
Not signed up to Dabble yet? Here's how to claim the Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets welcome offer:
- Sign up to Dabble through this link
- Register your account with accurate personal details
- Place your first bet of £10 or more
- Receive your £10 in free bets when your qualifying bet has setted
- Use your Free Bet on any eligible sportsbook market within 7 days
#AD 18+ 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. GambleAware.org
Rosenior’s counter was to allow Pedro Neto to roam freely and get into central zones between the lines. But their back-three allowed Callum Doyle to chase him for long distances and diminish the Portuguese winger’s impact, since there were enough remaining bodies to still form a line of four.
The off-ball work was actually what separated both teams. Chelsea didn’t show the same energy when pressing Wrexham. As a result, Doyle had all the time in the world to pick out a beautiful long pass to Sam Smith, who made it 1-0.
Though it has to be said: the Blues’ defensive system had an absolute nightmare in the first goal. Benoit Badiashile or Tosin Adarabioyo should have dislodged Smith, while Robert Sanchez should have picked a lane rather than being caught in between rushing out or staying put.
Liam Rosenior’s sneaky underutilised weapon
Considering that Wrexham basically blocked Chelsea’s short build-up, one other option presented itself. Liam Delap hold-up play.
Counting manually in real time, the Blues targeted the No.9 with his back to goal six times. He won the duel (meaning he successfully took the touch and either turned or suffered a foul) in five of them.
And it still felt like they didn’t press this button enough. Delap is great at sustaining contact and bodying defenders. When their preferred short passing is not a reliable option, it’s a solid plan B to have.
BetMGM sign-up offer: Get £40 in bonuses when you bet £10
Not signed up to BetMGM yet? Here's how eligible readers* can take advantage of their welcome offer:
- Open an account at BetMGM using this link.
- Select the Sports Welcome Offer.
- Get the offer from the ‘My Offers’ page.
- Deposit and place a £10 bet at odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater.
- When it settles, unlock £40 in bonuses
New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. 18+ GambleAware.org
But in one of the few times they did use it, they scored right after. A pass straight from Sanchez found delap in the centre circle, he turned around and carried the ball until unleashing Alejandro Garnacho down the left wing. The Argentine cut inside, fired a shot that George Thomason cleared off the line – only for it to ricochet off Arthur Okwonkwo’s back and into the net.
Garnacho was actually an important part of the Chelsea win as well. With Jorrel Hato and Josh Acheampong as wing-backs and Neto looking for central touches in a crowded zone, Garnacho became one of their only escape valves and one-on-one options.
Chelsea’s physical edge
Wrexham’s work rate was what made them play better and what had them up 2-1 late on. But it was also their demise.
Down the stretch, they barely had legs to hold on to the lead. George Dobson – who otherwise had a great game – not only got sent off but also took a poor touch that allowed Josh Acheampong to score the equaliser.
Extra time would be a tough 30 minutes for any Championship side against a Chelsea team that was bringing on a few starters off the bench and still had quality players on the pitch. But doing it tired with 10 men makes it impossible to get anything out of the game.
They did come close to making it 3-3 with (yet another) set piece. But Lewis Brunt was offside when he headed in off a Kieffer Moore flick-on – that looked like it was going in anyway.
It was actually logical, considering the Red Dragons are joint-second in goals scored from corners in the second tier (11), while the Blues are joint-second in most goals conceded from corners in the Premier League (9).
But especially after Garnacho put Chelsea in front, Wrexham charged forward and consequently exposed themselves. It should have come sooner, but Joao Pedro put the final nail in the coffin in added time to make it 4-2.
Chelsea fans shouldn’t worry too much from a lucky win against a hard-working team while fielding mainly back-ups. But Wrexham fans should definitely feel proud of the performance their team put in.