Joe Cole hails 'monster' Joao Pedro after Chelsea edge past Wrexham in FA Cup thriller

Joao Pedro's impact from the bench proved decisive as Chelsea scraped past Championship outfit Wrexham 4-2 in an FA Cup tie that went the distance on Saturday.

The Welsh hosts twice edged ahead through Sam Smith and Callum Doyle, but Chelsea drew level by full-time courtesy of an Arthur Okonko own-goal and Josh Acheampong's strike. With Wrexham reduced to ten men following George Dobson's dismissal deep into the second half, the visitors capitalised in extra time, with Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro sealing progression to the quarter-finals.

Pedro's late contribution—coming in one of the match's final moments—earned effusive praise from Chelsea legend Joe Cole, who highlighted the forward's exceptional form. The Portuguese talent has now netted 11 times across his previous dozen outings for the club ahead of a midweek Champions League date with Paris Saint-Germain.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Cole dissected Pedro's movement and finishing: "He's a monster, he really is. The way he's playing—he positions that centre-half, drags him around, then strikes it into the turf. Everything he's hitting is going in at the moment.

"His number nine play isn't the constant shoulder-hunting of someone like Erling Haaland. He drops off, he drifts, because he's genuinely got quality on the ball."

Former Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster, who previously shared a dressing room with Pedro, was equally delighted to witness his former colleague thriving in the Premier League. Foster observed that the Brazilian possesses a rare blend of technical ability and competitive edge.

"I'm genuinely pleased to see Joao flourishing like this," Foster explained. "At Watford, all the raw ingredients were evident—Brazilian flair mixed with real nastiness, if you like.

"What's impressed me most is his consistency week in, week out now. He played left, right, up front for us—he's comfortable everywhere—and that unpredictability is why he's banging in so many goals. Defenders never quite know where he's going to pop up.

"If I'm honest, I was surprised he didn't start tonight. When a striker's just rattled in a hat-trick, their confidence is sky-high—they feed off that ego and want to keep scoring. Seeing him introduced from the bench, I thought, 'Blimey, here we go'—but he delivered regardless."