Liam Rosenior remarked that Chelsea were “fortunate” to secure a 4-2 victory over Wrexham in the fifth round of the FA Cup, noting that two pivotal VAR calls went against the EFL Championship club during a thrilling match at Stok Cae Ras.
The match saw Wrexham midfielder George Dobson shown a red card in the second half for a foul on Alejandro Garnacho, while a late strike by Lewis Brunt was disallowed, both decisions stemming from VAR—a system that has only been implemented for this round and beyond in this year’s FA Cup.
If these incidents had occurred in earlier rounds, Dobson would not have seen red, and Brunt’s goal would have stood. Despite the correctness of the VAR rulings, Rosenior acknowledged that his team benefitted from a bit of good fortune to come away with the win.
“Both VAR decisions were accurate,” Rosenior stated. “Dobson’s challenge was dangerous, and if you’re offside, you’re offside.”
“We certainly needed that stroke of luck today, as Wrexham performed exceptionally well,” he continued. “Their energy and bravery in pressing were outstanding. We had to elevate our game significantly because we faced a formidable opponent. Wrexham went all out; in cup matches, you can expect plenty of balls in the box and crosses from the flanks. The emotional intensity of these games makes them very challenging.
“Many Premier League teams will discover that in this competition, but now we need to recover and gear up for a crucial match on Wednesday against Paris Saint-Germain.”
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Chelsea’s victory was largely due to an impressive display by Garnacho, who scored one goal and set up another. Rosenior praised the former Manchester United winger for his impactful performance.
“I believe he’s in an excellent place right now,” Rosenior noted. “His goal was outstanding, and his energy levels were remarkable, especially since he played a full 90 minutes on Wednesday. It’s great to see him thriving at such a critical juncture of the season.”