Wrexham to host Chelsea in FA Cup's fifth round

Wrexham will welcome eight-time FA Cup winners Chelsea to the Racecourse Ground for a fifth-round tie scheduled for the weekend of March 7-8, the draw confirmed on Monday. The Welsh club, owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, advanced to the round of 16 for the first time in 29 years after eliminating Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest on penalties in the third round and edging fellow Championship side Ipswich Town 1-0 last Friday.

Chelsea, which suffered three consecutive final defeats between 2020 and 2022, booked its place in the last 16 with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Hull City in its opening match of this season’s competition. The upcoming clash will be the first FA Cup encounter between the two clubs since 1982, though they have met in friendlies in recent years—at North Carolina’s Kenan Stadium in 2023 and in Santa Clara, California, in 2024.

Currently pushing for promotion from the Championship, Wrexham has already secured a record three straight promotions and sits within the playoff positions as it eyes a potential Premier League berth next season.

Elsewhere in the fifth round, Premier League leaders Arsenal travel to League One’s Mansfield Town, which reached this stage for the first time since 1975 after defeating Burnley on Saturday. Arsenal last lifted the trophy in 2020. Holders Manchester City face Newcastle United in an all-Premier League affair as they pursue a third consecutive final appearance, while 2022 champions Liverpool visit Wolverhampton Wanderers.