Wrexham AFC prepares to host Chelsea in a massive FA Cup fifth-round clash with experts billing the game to spark another upset.
Premier League heavyweights of Chelsea are stepping into the spotlight at the Racecourse for a high-stakes FA Cup fifth-round tie this Saturday.
Chelsea team news ahead of the Emirates FA Cup fifth round.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 6, 2026
For Wrexham center-back Dominic Hyam, the goal is simple: stop watching the old clips and start filming new ones. The Scotland international has anchored a backline that has already seen off top-flight opposition this season, and he believes the stage is perfectly set for another chapter of North Welsh lore.
The underdog tag is one Wrexham wears with a bit of a smirk these days. They aren’t exactly strangers to the big stage, having already dispatched Nottingham Forest in a third-round thriller that went all the way to penalties.
Hyam, who scored his first goal for the club during that Forest match, knows that these nights aren’t just about survival, they’re about finding that one moment where the gap between the Championship and the Premier League disappears.
It’s hard to ignore the meteoric rise this club has enjoyed since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took the reins in 2021. In just five years, the Red Dragons have surged from the fifth tier to the Championship, securing three successive promotions along the way.
Currently sitting sixth in the table and eyeing a place in the Premier League via the play-offs, Wrexham is a club that has forgotten how to think small.
The Emirates FA Cup fifth round awaits. 🏴 pic.twitter.com/vhAcUEpcsl
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 6, 2026
Phil Parkinson is leaning into that “nothing to lose” mentality as the weekend approaches. For him, this isn’t just a distraction from the league grind. He wants to see how his players cope with Premiership quality in a pressure-cooker environment. It’s a challenge he relishes, noting that these are the specific weeks that make the hard work of a football manager worthwhile.
Parkinson has been vocal about the boxes his team needs to tick to make life as difficult as possible for the visitors. He’s made it clear to his squad that if they don’t step onto the pitch believing an upset is possible, they might as well stay in the dressing room.
For the fans, the Chelsea game is another chance to stretch the boundaries of what this club can achieve. With the backing of the home crowd, Hyam and his teammates know that anything is possible once the whistle blows, regardless of the names on the back of the opposing jerseys.
Chelsea arrive in Wales with confidence, sitting fifth in the Premier League and off the back of their 4-1 thrashing of Aston Villa on Wednesday.
