A spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals will be on the line when Wrexham and Chelsea lock horns at Racecourse Ground on Saturday.
The fifth round of the 2025/26 FA Cup will continue on Saturday, with the day featuring three matches. The action will kick off with the game between Mansfield Town and Arsenal before continuing with Wrexham vs Chelsea at Racecourse Ground.
Wrexham’s FA Cup journey has been remarkable, as they have been one of the giant killers in this season’s competition. The Red Dragons began their campaign with a victory over Nottingham Forest in the penalty shootout before beating Ipswich Town 1-0 in the fourth round. Meanwhile, Phil Parkinson’s men have been on an upward trajectory in the EFL Championship, rising to sixth in the standings after three successive victories.
On the other hand, Chelsea’s two games in the FA Cup have featured straightforward victories, as they beat Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the third round before beating Hull City 4-0 in the previous stage. The Blues come into this game on the back of a brilliant performance against Aston Villa earlier this week, cruising to a 4-1 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League.
The most recent match between Wrexham and Chelsea ended in a 1-0 victory for the Welsh outfit, one of two victories they have over the West London club. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Wrexham
Phil Parkinson has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Wrexham manager will be bereft of the services of half a dozen first-team players vs Chelsea on Saturday.
Aaron James (knee) and Lewis Brunt (thigh) are long-term absentees for the home side. The duo accompanies Matty James (toe), Liberato Cacace (hamstring), Thomas O’Connor (hamstring), and Ben Sheaf (knee) in the treatment room.
Arthur Okonkwo is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Wrexham lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Chelsea. The central defensive unit will feature Max Cleworth, Callum Doyle, and captain Dominic Hyam. Meanwhile, Issa Kabore and George Thomason will be the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the three centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, George Dobson will pair up with Lewis O’Brien in the double pivot. Finally, Kieffer Moore will lead the line for Wrexham against Chelsea, with Nathan Broadhead and Josh Windass completing the numbers in the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Okonkwo; Cleworth, Hyam, Doyle; Kabore, Dobson, O’Brien, Thomason; Windass, Broadhead; Moore
Chelsea
Unlike his counterpart in the Wrexham dugout, Liam Rosenior has received a positive update on the team news front ahead of the trip to Racecourse Ground. The Chelsea head coach will be without five first-team players on Saturday.
Pedro Neto is available after serving a suspension in the Premier League game against Aston Villa earlier this week. However, Levi Colwill (knee), Jamie Gittens (hamstring), Dario Essugo (match fitness), and Estevao Willian (thigh) remain in the treatment room. Additionally, Mykhailo Mudryk remains unavailable after failing a doping test over a year ago.
Filip Jorgensen will retain his spot between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Wrexham on Saturday. The backline will feature Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Mamadou Sarr, and Jorrel Hato.
As for the midfield unit, Andrey Santos will line up alongside Moises Caicedo in the double pivot, with Enzo Fernandez reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Liam Delap will spearhead the Chelsea attack against Wrexham, with Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; Gusto, Chalobah, Sarr, Hato; Caicedo, Santos; Neto, Fernandez, Garnacho; Delap
Key Stats
- Wrexham and Chelsea have not met in any competition since February 1982, when the Welsh side won 1-0 in a league game, one of two wins the Red Dragons have registered in nine games against Chelsea (D3 L4).
- Chelsea and Wrexham have faced off in one previous FA Cup tie, needing two replays in the 1981/82 fourth round to knock the Welsh outfit out. The Blues have won six of their last eight away games in Wales in all competitions (D1 L1), including a 3-1 win at Cardiff City in the League Cup this season.
- For the first time since 1996/97, Wrexham are into the FA Cup fifth round. That season is one of three times the Red Dragons have progressed to the quarter-finals, where they beat Birmingham City 3-1, along with 1973/74 and 1977/78.
- Chelsea have progressed from their last 24 FA Cup ties against sides from a lower division, since losing 4-2 to Bradford City in January 2015. Among top-flight teams, only Arsenal (28 from January 1998 to January 2013) and Manchester United (30 from January 1985 to February 2009) have had a longer run of eliminating lower league teams.
- Josh Windass has scored five goals in his last five FA Cup starts, including the winner for Wrexham in the fourth round this season. All six of his goals in the competition have come on home soil.
Player to Watch
Pedro Neto
While Josh Windass, Kieffer Moore, and Liam Delap were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Pedro Neto as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s FA Cup clash between Wrexham and Chelsea at Racecourse Ground.
The Portuguese international has scored four goals in two FA Cup appearances this season, one against Charlton Athletic in the third round and a hat-trick against Hull in the fourth round. The last Chelsea player to score in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds in a season was Pedro in the 2016/17 campaign. So, after returning from a suspension, Neto will be eager to return to scoring ways.
Prediction
Wrexham 1-2 Chelsea
Wrexham’s trajectory in recent weeks and improving form suggest a closely-contested game may be on the cards against an inconsistent Chelsea. The Blues have shown a tendency to drop poor performance when they are seemingly cruising.
While a catastrophic display is not on the cards, Wrexham will take things close this weekend. However, while the hosts will take the game to Chelsea, they may not have enough quality to spring another surprise. Meanwhile, Pedro Neto and Liam Delap will deliver the goods for the away side, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Liam Rosenior and his charges.
