Marcos Alonso's extra-time winner finally saw Chelsea past League One Plymouth but their 2-1 FA Cup win owed plenty to a last-gasp penalty miss from Argyle's Ryan Hardie.
2021/2022 FA Cup
1-1
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
4' CHANCE! Jorginho's long shot inches wide
7' GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Plymouth Argyle (Gillesphey)
10' OFF THE BAR! Kovacic nearly scores
29' Ziyech's long shot saved
30' AGAIN! Hudson-Odoi's header hits the bar
37' OFF THE POST! Kovacic's long shot nearly scores again
40' GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Plymouth Argyle (Azpilicueta)
54' MISS! Lukaku fails to score in front of an open goal!
57' OFFSIDE! Azpilicueta's goal disallowed
74' CHANCE! Mount's shot over the bar
105' GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Plymouth Argyle (Alonso)
117' Penalty Missed! (Hardie)
Match Report
Alonso fired the Blues in front for the first time in the match late on in the first half of extra-time to dampen the spirits of the visitors, who had led from the eighth minute when Macaulay Gillesphey's header from a free-kick beat Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Plymouth were pegged back just before half-time when Cesar Azpilicueta's backheel levelled for the European champions, but they were denied a second-half breakthrough by Mike Cooper's heroics in the Argyle goal even with the introduction of Kai Havertz and Timo Werner to join Romelu Lukaku in attack.
In extra time Chelsea finally found a way to break down Plymouth's stubborn resistance, as Alonso slotted home Havertz's pull-back to marked relief around Stamford Bridge, although the drama was still not over.
With three minutes of the additional 30 remaining, Hardie was tripped by Malang Sarr in the Chelsea area before picking himself up to take the resulting penalty. He could only strike the ball tamely into the arms of Arrizabalaga, who had guessed the right way and ensured last year's runners-up progressed through to round five.
Line-ups
Chelsea XI: Azpilicueta, Lukaku, Kovacic, Jorginho, Rudiger, Kepa, Christensen, Ziyech, Mount, Sarr, Hudson-Odoi
Subs: Alonso, Saul , Barkley, M. Bettinelli, Werner, Kenedy, T. Chalobah, Havertz, Teddy Sharman-Lowe
Plymouth Argyle XI: J. Wilson, D. Mayor, J. Edwards, J. Houghton, C. Grant, M. Gillesphey, D. Scarr, J. Garrick, Panutche Camará, M. Cooper, L. Jephcott
Subs: J. Bolton, C. Burton, R. Hardie, R. Broom, N. Ennis, A. Lewis, R. Law, A. Randell, F. Craske