Fernando Torres struck a late equaliser to spare Chelsea the embarrassment of being knocked out of the FA Cup by League One Brentford at Griffin Park.
The £50m Spain striker equalised seven minutes from time as Brentford threatened to heap even more misery on Chelsea and interim manager Rafael Benitez after their midweek Capital One Cup semi-final elimination against Swansea City.
Brentford, third in the third tier of English football, were the better side for long spells in this fourth round tie and twice held the lead through Marcello Trotta’s first-half goal and Harry Forrester’s penalty 17 minutes from time.
With Chelsea on the brink of an ignominious exit and Benitez facing increasing hostility from the travelling supporters packed at one end of Griffin Park, Torres curled in a superb finish to give the Premier League side the relief of a replay.
Brentford’s fans gave their side a standing ovation after an outstanding effort that earns them a lucrative replay at Stamford Bridge – but for a few moments they were dreaming of an even bigger reward.
For Chelsea, the draw was gratefully accepted and they deserve some credit for digging out the result after struggling for so long.
-bbc