Marcos Alonso’s extra-time winner saves Chelsea against combating Plymouth

On a robustious afterlife it took Chelsea 105 beats, 39 shots and 19 corners to take the lead against Plymouth. These are the kind of numbers that suggest a pasting, fourth-round FA Cup minnows hanging on by their toenails. 

 This was commodity else a win for Chelsea, but a day when Plymouth played neat, chastened, counterattacking football, and really might have won. Deep into spare time Steve Schumacher’s team were spanking in shots at the Chelsea thing looking to force a shoot- avoidance. 

 Chelsea’s occasional problems are clear enough, a well-calibrated end and pressing machine that seems at times to be lulling itself to sleep. But Plymouth were a great homage to the enduring strength of the lower orders, and huge credit to their director, who sounds like a convert of the Ralf Rangnick shop, but is from Liverpool. 

 Some perspective Plymouth are seventh in League One, 12 points behind Rotherham. In spare time, Chelsea had Romelu Lukaku, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech on the pitch, a combined£ 280m of attacking gift, and all easily standing fairly near bone another. 

The guests indeed missed a penalty five beats from the end, Malang Sarr bringing down Ryan Hardie only for Hardie to see his kick well saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga. “ I ’m emotional,” Schumacher said. “ I ’m just really proud of the team. They gave everything they ’ve got.” 

 The Plymouth end was a shifting sight, a sizeable portion of Devon packed into the full double-decker stage. And the Bridge was a lovely soft sunny spring-suchlike place at kick-off, the game beginning in a mild noontime snooze. 

 At which point commodity noble happened. With seven beats gone Plymouth won a free- kick on the liberalism. The ball was swung in at a tempting angle by Jordan Houghton. Macauley Gillesphey danced the ball on into the corner, unbounded by any real show of interest from Chelsea’s centre- tails or from Arrizabalaga, who stood on his line and watched. 

 There was unfenced joy in the green end, a startled roar that just kept on growling on, bodies tumbling across the aisles. It was also a lovely little shot in time for Houghton, who noway fairly made it on to this pitch as a senior Chelsea player, but who will now always have that moment in the February sun. 

Thomas Tuchel had tested positive for Covid-19 before the game, the part of angry pointing tracksuited man filled by Arno Michels. Michels was doubtful whether Tuchel would be suitable to travel to the Club World Cup, asub- drama that must now be untangled. 

 But it would be hard to condemn Tuchel’s absence. Chelsea were simply vague. Callum Hudson-Odoi headed on to the bar at the posterior post. Ten beats before half- time Mateo Kovacic resounded a shot low and hard on to the bottom of the post. Was this going to be one of those days where people talk about One of Those Days? 

 Mason Mount factory just enough space to cross from the right. In the centre, César Azpilicueta appealed a craftsman’s finish, the Lee Sharp- style wrong- bottom instep film taking the ball past Mike Cooper. 

 Chelsea set off at a cagey sprint in the alternate half. There was pressure but little cutting edge. Lukaku did not particularly stand out, his touch a grain blunt, movement unimaginative. 

At the other end Hardie had a sight of thing but Arrizabalaga was suitable to smother his finish. Cooper also made a awful save to turn down Mount’s shot after a fine layoff from Lukaku, who constantly shows his swish stuff taking the ball with movement around him. 

 Differently Chelsea continued to weave foggy patterns. It's constantly a struggle for armies that play at this tempo, where your own command of possession becomes a problem to be untangled. At times what they really feel to need is a good interpretation of Werner, an attacker with acceleration and the capability to work in small spaces, but also the capability to finish ruthlessly, or indeed, at all. 

 The final sibilant brought another vast cheer from the Plymouth end. But just ahead partial- time in spare time, Chelsea plant their opening. It came down the left. Havertz moaned wide also pulled back a low cross. Marcos Alonso had made the run outdoors, and had time and space to slip the ball easily past Cooper.