Liam Rosenior says Chelsea were fortunate after FA Cup win over Wrexham

• Liam Rosenior says Chelsea F.C. needed luck to beat Wrexham A.F.C.
• Two VAR decisions proved decisive in the FA Cup fifth-round tie at Stok Cae Ras
• Alejandro Garnacho starred as Chelsea secured a 4-2 victory

Liam Rosenior admitted Chelsea F.C. were fortunate to progress in the FA Cup after defeating Wrexham A.F.C. 4-2 in the fifth round.

The match at Stok Cae Ras featured two significant decisions involving the Video Assistant Referee that went against the Championship side.

Wrexham midfielder George Dobson was sent off in the second half after a challenge on Alejandro Garnacho was upgraded to a red card following a VAR review.

Later in extra time, a goal from Lewis Brunt was ruled out for offside after another review.

The VAR system is only being used from the fifth round onward in this season’s FA Cup, meaning the incidents would not have been reviewed in earlier rounds.

Rosenior acknowledged that both decisions were correct but said Chelsea benefited from the circumstances.

“Both VAR decisions were correct,” he said.

“It was a dangerous challenge and if you are offside, you are offside. But we needed that element of luck today because Wrexham were so good in their performance.”

The Chelsea manager praised Wrexham for their intensity and attacking approach during the match.

“They were magnificent in their energy and how brave they were in the press,” Rosenior said. “We had to be at a very high level tonight because we were pushed by a very good team.”

He added that the emotional atmosphere typical of FA Cup ties made the contest particularly challenging.

“In these cup ties you can feel the emotion and they are very difficult games to play in,” Rosenior said.

Chelsea’s victory was influenced by a strong performance from Garnacho, who scored one goal and created another during the match.

Rosenior praised the winger’s contribution during a demanding period in the season.

“I feel he’s in a really good place,” Rosenior said. “His goal was top and his energy levels were magnificent considering he played a full 90 minutes on Wednesday.”

Chelsea will now turn their attention to European competition with a match against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League later this week.