Wrexham v CHELSEA: FA Cup Preview

Date: Saturday seventh
March 2026

Venue: Racecourse Floor

Kick-off: 17:45 GMT

Tonight,
we’re packing our luggage and heading off to Wales for our first aggressive
assembly with Wrexham since 1982—again when perms had been modern and the world
was solely simply studying to moonwalk.

Lately, Wrexham are
funded by Hollywood royalty—Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds—so count on at the very least
three slow-motion montages and a cameo or two from Deadpool himself. They’ve
made it to the FA Cup fifth spherical for the primary time since ‘Take That’ had been
topping charts, and after dispatching Nottingham Forest, they’re driving excessive:
sixth within the Championship and profitable their final three at house. Hearsay has it,
the one factor lacking is an Oscar nomination.

As for Chelsea, after
final weekend’s totally anticipated loss to Arsenal (actually, it’s virtually
custom at this level underneath Blue co), we reworked midweek into
world-beaters, hammering Villa 4-1. One minute we’re Dr Jekyll, the subsequent Mr
Hyde—neither facet remembers how one can defend, however someway we now sit fifth within the
Premier League. Not dangerous for a squad that has developed an allergy to wash
sheets.

We’ve lifted the FA Cup eight occasions—again when trophies weren’t only for present and earlier than Clearlake arrived, rebranding profitable as ‘the brand new mission’. At current, we’re much less predictable than a British summer season, our defence and self-discipline are on vacation, and tonight’s fixture has ‘banana pores and skin’ written throughout it. If we slip, let’s hope it’s at the very least caught on digicam for Wrexham’s subsequent Hollywood blockbuster.

MANAGER’S VIEWS

Going into
at this time’s recreation, Wrexham supervisor Phil Parkinson, says “You’ve bought to enter
each recreation believing and if not, we’d as effectively not flip up. We’ve bought to go
into it with a perception however we’ve additionally bought to enter it with an understanding of
the underdog mentality and what packing containers we’ve bought to tick to make the night as
tough as potential for Chelsea.

It’s
at all times good to be right here in entrance of our house followers. Saturday is a little bit of a
celebration, I really feel, for the journey the membership are on, and I need the supporters
to come back in and revel in watching us play towards top-class opposition. It’s been a
very long time since we’ve been on this spherical, we’ve bought a wealthy historical past within the FA
Cup and it’s essential on Saturday night our supporters and the broader
viewers which can be going away from the sport have seen a group which has revered
that.

It’s
an important week for us. These are the weeks that you simply actually need to be concerned in
as a supervisor, participant, supporter. Chelsea at house within the FA Cup after which we roll
into two actually thrilling video games. When individuals moan about fixtures, we’ve labored
laborious to get to this stage of the FA Cup, we’ve labored exceptionally laborious to be
within the high six and I need us to take advantage of this week, beginning with the
weekend.”

Liam
Rosenior, in the meantime, says “If you see a membership develop, develop and enhance as
they arrive up the leagues, it’s an important story. I believe Phil has performed an
unbelievable job with the best way he manages the group and the place they’re in
the league as effectively. They’ve performed an important job. We all know it will likely be a extremely
tough recreation. It’s a membership that’s on the rise, and there may be good vitality and a
good vibe round. It’s laborious to play towards that, so we’ll take the sport
actually significantly. For us, it’s a possibility to win a trophy. That’s what
soccer is about and what the FA Cup is about. We have to be respectful of
that. We perceive that we’re the favourites to win the sport, and rightfully
so. Now we have to go and play like that.

Successful
trophies is why I’m right here. It’s what you dream of as a participant or a coach or a
supervisor. You need to win issues, and the FA Cup is an incredible competitors full
of custom and historical past. Should you deal with the trophy on the finish of the season,
you’re most likely not going to win something. It’s in regards to the subsequent recreation – we now have
to deal with the subsequent recreation. The gamers are in a extremely good way of thinking, and
clearly, the consequence and efficiency towards Aston Villa has given us
confidence, however on the similar time, we have to deal with this recreation and ensure
we come by way of the opposite facet.

What
we now have to do [tomorrow] shouldn’t be take into consideration the trophy, however focus on
Wrexham. I believe to date in my time, if I am going again to the Charlton recreation or the
Hull recreation, what happy me a lot was the applying of the gamers – I
thought we had been glorious. We’re going to should be at that very same degree, at
least, to win.”

SQUAD NEWS

For Wrexham, Matty James (toe),
Liberato Cacace (hamstring), Thomas O’Connor (hamstring) Ben Sheaf (knee), Aaron
James (knee) and Lewis Brunt (thigh), are all out injured.

For Chelsea, Levi Colwill (ACL), Jamie Gittens (thigh), Dario Essugo (unspecified),
and Estevao Willian (thigh) are injured. Mykhaylo Mudryk in the meantime, continues to
serve what feels just like the longest suspension recognized to man. Lavia and Cucurella
each got here off the bench towards Villa and will play an element.

TEAMS

WREXHAM
(Potential line-up): Okonkwo; Cleworth, Hyam, Doyle;
Kabore, Dobson, O’Brien, Thomason; Windass, Broadhead; Moore

CHELSEA (Potential line-up): Jorgensen; Gusto, Chalobah, Sarr, Hato; Caicedo, Santos; Neto, Fernandez, Garnacho; Delap

LAST MEETING

Chelsea 5-0 Wrexham (Florida Cup) 20 July 2023

CURRENT FORM (ALL)

WREXHAM: LWDWWW

CHELSEA: WDWDLW

OTHER STUFF

Wrexham
and Chelsea haven’t met in any competitors since February 1982Wrexham
have gained 2 of 9 video games towards ChelseaChelsea have confronted Wrexham in a single
earlier FA Cup tieChelsea have confronted Wrexham in a single
earlier FA Cup tie 1981/82Chelsea
have gained six of their final eight away video games in Wales in all competitionsWrexham
have progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup 3 occasions of their historyChelsea have progressed from their final
24 FA Cup ties towards sides from a decrease division

PREDICTION

Sportsmole: Wrexham 1-3 Chelsea