Chelsea wished overtime and late drama on Saturday to peer off lower league opposition 2-1 to achieve the final 16 after Plymouth missed a late penalty at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea had been with out manager Thomas Tuchel, who has tested obvious for coronavirus.
And a vital person-studded Blues line-up made existence complex for themselves sooner than jetting off to the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi.
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Macaulay Gillesphey nodded the League One side into the lead after correct eight minutes.
The Plymouth aim led a charmed existence as Mateo Kovacic and Callum Hudson-Odoi hit the bar sooner than Cesar Azpilicueta’s inventive operate levelled correct sooner than half of-time.
An anticipated Chelsea onslaught within the 2nd half of didn’t materialise and they had to wait except stoppage time at the tip of the first half of of overtime to creep in front when Marcos Alonso slotted dwelling Kai Havertz’s sinful.
On the opposite hand, the drama did no longer discontinuance there as Plymouth had been awarded a penalty with seconds to creep in overtime.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has been precipitated within the previous by Tuchel for shootouts as a penalty specialist and the Spaniard ensured there was as soon as no longer a shootout when he saved Ryan Hardie’s field-kick.
Kidderminster heartbreak
In the period in-between, non-league Kidderminster Harriers had been seconds far from one of the fundamental finest shocks in FA Cup historical previous except Declan Rice rescued West Ham because the Premier League side improved to the fifth round 2-1 after overtime.
Sixth-tier Kidderminster take a seat 113 areas under David Moyes’ males, who’re pushing for a assign of dwelling in subsequent season’s Champions League.
Nonetheless the fragility within the Hammers’ squad with out Rice and Michail Antonio was as soon as exposed as Harriers had been valid fee for the lead given to them by Alex Penny’s early aim for far of the 90 minutes.
The defender smashed into an unguarded after the Hammers didn’t tackle Omari Sterling’s free-kick.
Moyes despatched on Rice at half of-time amongst 5 adjustments all around the 2nd half of, however the dwelling side seemed dwelling to withhold on except the England midfielder took issues into his possess fingers.
Rice charged forward from midfield within the first minute of stoppage time, cut inside and blasted the ball excessive into the roof of the decide up.
Even then the company laboured for 30 minutes of overtime except striking in stoppage time as soon as extra to handbook decided of the menace of a penalty shootout.
Jarrod Bowen was as soon as left with the rush wager to tapping dwelling from shut differ after Kidderminster ‘keeper Luke Simpson denied Aaron Cresswell from point-blank differ.
