Manchester City shrugged off 10 changes to their starting line-up to beat Newcastle 3-1 and reach the FA Cup quarterfinals on Saturday as Chelsea battled past 10-man Wrexham.
Earlier, Premier League leaders Arsenal stayed on track for a historic quadruple by seeing off a feisty challenge from third-tier Mansfield, to win their fifth-round tie 2-1.
City coach Pep Guardiola, juggling punishing Premier League and Champions League commitments, changed nearly the entire side from the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest in midweek, with only Matheus Nunes keeping his place.
Eddie Howe made a relatively modest four changes to his Newcastle team, fresh from their late win against Manchester United in midweek, with match-winner Will Osula given a rare start.
The home side began strongly at St James' Park and took a deserved lead when Harvey Barnes finished smartly after being found by Sandro Tonali.
Pure quality from Harvey Barnes 🎯🔥
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City were level in the 39th minute in bizarre fashion when Jeremy Doku's dangerous ball behind the defence ran all the way to Savinho.
The Brazilian stood still and appeared to let the ball bounce off his leg into the net.
Soon after the restart City completed the turnaround when Omar Marmoush smashed the ball into the roof of the goal from close range.
The Egyptian forward then thundered home his second in the 65th minute to put his team in total control.
City’s third comes courtesy of Omar Marmoush, who completes his brace in style 🔥
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Guardiola turned to a bench full of international talent to refresh the team, who suffered few scares in reaching their ninth FA Cup quarterfinal in the past 10 years.
City, who travel to face Real Madrid in midweek, remain in the Premier League title hunt but are seven points behind Arsenal after their stumble against Forest.
CHELSEA SCARE
Chelsea are also into the last eight after a 4-2 win but only after a scare against second-tier Wrexham, who twice took the lead at the Racecourse Ground.
Chelsea join Liverpool and Arsenal in the Quarter-Finals 🏆⏭️#SSFootball | #EmiratesFACup | #FACup pic.twitter.com/ZbOI4pflzN
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Hollywood-owned Wrexham, watched by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, went ahead through Sam Smith but the visitors drew level courtesy of an own goal shortly before halftime.
In a breathless second period, Callum Doyle put the Welsh team back ahead again in the 78th minute, only for Josh Acheampong to equalise four minutes later.
The game changed when Wrexham midfielder George Dobson was sent off in stoppage time and Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho volleyed home in the first period of extra time before substitute Joao Pedro's late strike added gloss to the scoreline.
A goal that has everyone confused 🤣
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Chelsea lead as Garnacho finishes at the back post 🙌
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"Incredible win. I think it was one of the hardest games of the season so far," Garnacho told the BBC.
"We are proud, and we are in the next round.... You have to fight and the opposition played really good."
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson, who has masterminded three straight promotions for the Welsh side, said his team could take "a lot of heart" from the performance.
"I'm very pleased with the way we acquitted ourselves tonight," he said. "We showed a lot of good aspects to our play and played some great football. We weren't just coming here to stop Chelsea – we believe we can play."
Wrexham will now turn their attention to their push for a fourth straight promotion – this time to the Premier League.
In the first FA Cup match of the day, Eberechi Eze smashed home the winner as a much-changed Arsenal toughed out a win in the East Midlands.
Arsenal are through to the Quarter-Finals 🔴⏭️#SSFootball | #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/A45KBaVLTX
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Noni Madueke put the 14-time FA Cup winners ahead against the League One strugglers shortly before halftime, only for substitute Will Evans to level soon after the break.
England forward Eze thumped home midway through the second half to restore Arsenal's lead, minutes after being introduced by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
"It was a proper FA Cup game and credit to Mansfield, the stadium, the atmosphere that the fans created," Arteta told TNT Sports.
"It was a bit of banter, great atmosphere as well for them to keep pushing the team and they made it really difficult for us."