Chelsea nearly looked like they were going to lose to underdog Wrexham, but they managed to turn things around in extra time and win 4-2 to advance past the Fifth Round of the FA Cup. Here are three key players who bailed them out.
CF Joao Pedro
All the superlatives deserve to go to Joao Pedro for the season he is having at Stamford Bridge after many Brighton fans did not even value the Brazilian center forward properly.
He has been the signing of the summer among the big Premier League attackers, and his all around play was evident again for Chelsea. He was a massive upgrade over the horrendous Liam Delap, killing off the game with a clinical finish.
AM Alejandro Garnacho
Stumbling upon a rich vein of form, Alejandro Garnacho provided a delicious finish and even better run off the ball to seal the game for Chelsea at 3-2, and it always seems like he is in the right place at the right time to cause chaos or simply where the action is.
Garnacho has that something special about him, and while he can be inconsistent, this was one of his better days. He was the clear Man of the Match for Chelsea, working hard to progress the ball and create shooting opportunities for himself.
CM Dario Essugo
There is simply no point to starting Romeo Lavia. Whereas the Belgian was horrendous, Dario Essugo helped save the game and showed that what Chelsea need is effort and not the theoretical.
Essugo led the way with a pair of assists and came through in the clutch for Chelsea with tremendous quality and composure on the ball with his passing and in his ability to maintain possession in what was a very wide open game for the Blues despite Wrexham’s underdog status.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.