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By EDIE HOLT Published: 02: 00 AEDT, 8 March 2026 | Updated: 02: 01 AEDT, 8 March 2026 6 View comments The hotly-anticipated FA Cup clash between Wrexham and Chelsea will see the Hollywood-backed underdogs looking to make another giant-killing in North Wales on Saturday. Chelsea must tread carefully here. Wrexham have been showing impressive form in recent weeks. Since Boxing Day, they have lost only two of their 15 matches, and they took out Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup, showing that they can compete with top-flight opposition. Chelsea have been skating on thinner ice - before their victory over Aston Villa, they had only gained one point over their previous two matches. If they want to grab a spot in the Champions League next season, they’re going to need to nab a few more wins in the Premier League. They’ve also racked up seven red cards - four clear of any other team in the Premier League. The Blues cannot afford any ill discipline at the Racecourse. Both teams come into this fifth-round tie with bigger fish to fry. After a decisive victory against Aston Villa in the Premier League, Chelsea’s priorities will lie outside the FA Cup, with their sights set on the Champions League. Wrexham are chasing history. After three promotions on the spin, their main goal is to break into the Premier League for the first time. A fourth consecutive promotion would put their name in the record books. Phil Parkinson and Liam Rosenior will be in the respective driving seats. Parkinson has been with Wrexham since July 2021 and guided the team through some stunning moments. Another scalp today would rank among his best. Having taken on Chelsea's managerial role in early January of this year, Rosenior will be looking to capitalise on the Villa victory and build some momentum after some rocky matches. Wrexham are hoping to orchestrate another giant-killing in the FA Cup as they host Chelsea Chelsea’s trophy cabinet is well stocked. The FA Cup is a favourite, since they’ve won it eight times in total, most recently in 2018. They also boast two Champions League trophies, six top-flight league titles, and last year’s FIFA Club World Cup. Putting it all together, Chelsea have 34 major trophies to their name. Not too shabby. Wrexham’s trophy cabinet may not rival that of their Premier League opponents, but the club have a rich history. They have lifted the Welsh Cup a record 23 times, long cementing their status as one of Wales’ most decorated sides. In recent years, Wrexham have added a Football League Trophy (2004–05), an FA Trophy (2012–13), and the National League title in 2022–23, which ended their 15-year absence from the English Football League. No FA Cup, but who knows - maybe this is their year. What Chelsea must really be envious of is Wrexham’s commemorative, plaque-adorned urinal that was gifted to Rob Mc Elhenney by fellow owner Ryan Reynolds. It has pride of place in a bathroom at the Racecourse, and no other team in the UK can boast such a prize. Take that, Chelsea. Phil Parkinson, a veteran manager, welcomes the relatively inexperienced Liam Rosenior Chelsea boast a much more impressive trophy cabinet than their Championship foes Chelsea’s expenditure makes Wrexham’s outgoings look like those of a nice neighbourhood team rather than one backed by Deadpool himself. Chelsea’s total squad value stands at £1. 01billion, the third-highest in the Premier League according to Transfermarkt. Midfielder Cole Palmer is the big-ticket man, with a market value of about £104million. Wrexham’s squad, humble by comparison, is worth roughly £57. 5m, with their centre-back Callum Doyle boasting the highest value at just shy of £7m. That means Chelsea’s squad is worth almost 20 times as much as Wrexham’s. Wrexham: £57. 5m Top players by market value: Callum Doyle (£6. 9m), Ben Sheaf (£6. 5m), Nathan Broadhead (£6. 1m) Chelsea: £1. 01bn Top players by market value: Cole Palmer (£104. 2m), Moises Caicedo (£95. 5m), Enzo Fernandez (£73. 8m) (Stats: Transfermarkt) So where do Chelsea and Wrexham sit in their respective leagues? Wrexham are currently sixth in the Championship. The top priority, for them, is not the nostalgic FA Cup, but rather the tantalising fairytale of securing a fourth straight promotion. The top two teams, currently Coventry and Middlesbrough, take automatic promotion. Wrexham are in the final play-off spot, nine points off second. It’s all to play for in the Championship, so Parkinson may want to take the opportunity to rotate his squad in preparation for their upcoming battle with fellow promotion-chasers Hull City on Tuesday. They may want to prioritise the promotion and put the FA Cup on the back burner. Chelsea are in a similar position. In the tight race to earn a ticket to the Champions League next season, fifth-placed Chelsea are hot on the heels of Aston Villa, lagging only three points behind. Rosenior may also be looking to rest up his star players so that their energy can be saved for more important pursuits - namely, Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 match-up at Paris Saint-Germain. With both sides likely to rotate, it should be an interesting night. Despite being the smaller side, Wrexham can sprinkle some Hollywood stardust on the occasion (pictured: co-owner Ryan Reynolds) Wrexham have undeniable star quality. Ryan Reynolds’ ownership of the club has catapulted them into the spotlight, even for those who don’t follow football. The Disney+ series ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ has solidified the club as a commercial product. The club’s Instagram has 1. 5m followers, regularly showing off their glamorous owners. They’ve got an even more impressive count on Tik Tok, with 1. 7m. Despite being the third-oldest professional football club in the world, you can’t help but imagine that those followers probably have a fair bit to do with the Hollywood stars behind the scenes. Chelsea certainly can’t complain about their social media presence, either. With 44. 7m followers on Instagram and 22m on Tik Tok, they’ve got to be doing something right. They are one of the biggest clubs in England and their global appeal is massive with a chance to expand that this summer with a pre-season tour in Australia.
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