Head-to-head

We have only played Wrexham on nine previous occasions in competitive matches, all between August 1979 and February 1982, six in Division Two and three in the FA Cup. Chelsea have not faced Wrexham in a competitive game since February 1982, in the old second division.

Our only FA Cup tie was in the fourth round in 1981/82, when we progressed after a second replay after, coincidentally, also beating Hull City in the previous round. Our most recent competitive meeting was a few weeks after that tie, in Division Two.

While we have not faced Wrexham competitively since 1982, we have faced the Red Dragons in two of the last three summers, during pre-season friendlies in the USA, winning our 2023 clash 5-0 and drawing 2-2 in the summer of 2024.

Before joining Chelsea, Blues legends John Neal (manager), Joey Jones (left-back), Eddie Niedzwiecki (goalkeeper) and Mickey Thomas (winger) all had experience playing for or managing Wrexham. Each of them contributed to our 1983/84 Second Division championship-winning season, when we finished top with 88 points and ahead of Sheffield Wednesday on goal difference.

Head-to-head (all competitions)

Played 9
Won 4
Drawn 3
Lost 2

All five meetings in Wrexham

29 December 1979 Division Two L 2-0
15 November 1980 Division Two W 4-0 Britton, Lee, Walker, Driver
26 January 1982 FA Cup D 1-1 aet Mayes
1 February 1982 FA Cup W 2-1 Droy, Mayes
27 February 1982 Division Two L 1-0

Biggest win for each team:

Wrexham 0-4 Chelsea 1980/81 Division Two
Wrexham 2-0 Chelsea 1979/80 Division Two

Chelsea stats

Chelsea have won the FA Cup eight times. Only Arsenal (14) and Manchester United (13) have claimed the trophy on more occasions. We last lifted the famous silverware back in 2018, when Antonio Conte's Blues defeated Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley, courtesy of an Eden Hazard penalty.

We were the first Football League club from the capital to reach an FA Cup final, in 1915.

Chelsea have progressed from seven of our past eight, and 14 of our last 16, fifth-round FA Cup ties, only losing to Manchester City in 2014 and Manchester United in 2019. The Blues have progressed from 63 of our last 65 FA Cup ties against sides from a lower division, including the last 24 in a row.

The most recent team from a lower league to beat the Blues in the FA Cup was Bradford City, in the fourth round in 2015 at Stamford Bridge. The Bantams were sixth in League One at the time and ended our run of 12 successive home victories by winning 4-2. Jose Mourinho was in charge of the Blues and current Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson was in the Bradford City dugout that day.

In the last round against Hull City, Pedro Neto was the first Chelsea player since Tammy Abraham against Luton Town in 2021, and before that Oscar at MK Dons in 2016, to score a hat-trick in the FA Cup.

With his goals at Aston Villa this week, Joao Pedro is the fourth member of Chelsea's current squad to net a hat-trick for the club, joining Cole Palmer (who has four), Marc Guiu and Neto.

Last five away FA Cup ties against Championship teams

2020/21 fifth round Barnsley W 1-0
2021/22 fifth round Luton Town W 3-2
2021/22 quarter-finals Middlesbrough W 2-0
2025/26 third round Charlton Athletic W 5-1
2025/26 fourth round Hull City W 4-0

Last five FA Cup away games

8 January 2023 third round Manchester City L 4-0
7 February 2024 fourth round replay Aston Villa W 3-1
8 February 2025 fourth round Brighton & Hove Albion L 2-1
10 January 2026 third round Charlton Athletic W 5-1
13 February 2026 fourth round Hull City W 4-0

Milestones

If selected, Marc Cucurella will make his 150th appearance for the club.

The next game Enzo Fernandez captains the side, it will be the 50th time he has worn the armband from the start since he joined the club in 2023.

Wrexham stats

Last season

League One: Second (promoted)
FA Cup: Lost 1-0 away to Harrogate Town in the first round
League Cup: Lost 4-2 away to Sheffield United in the first round
EFL Trophy: Lost on penalties at home to Peterborough United in the semi-finals
Top scorer: Elliot Lee 9

Since the takeover by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in late-2020, the club has risen from the fifth-tier National League to the Championship in the previous four consecutive seasons.

Wrexham were promoted to the Championship last summer after finishing second in League One and are currently in sixth position, nine points below second-placed Middlesbrough.

The Red Dragons are on a run of three consecutive wins and are unbeaten in five games (four wins, one draw) since losing at home to Millwall on 7 February. Wrexham have won their last three matches at the Racecourse Ground, by an aggregate of 8-4.

Josh Windass has scored five goals in his past five FA Cup starts, all at home, including this season's fourth-round winner for the Red Dragons. All six of his FA Cup goals have come on home soil.

Wrexham have only reached the FA Cup fifth round once since Chelsea last played them in the competition in 1982. That was in 1996/97, when they went on to reach the quarter-finals.

The Welsh side have reached this season's FA Cup fifth round by beating Nottingham Forest on penalties after a 3-3 draw in the third round, and Ipswich Town 1-0 in the fourth round. Both games were at home.

Phil Parkinson’s management record vs Chelsea

Won: 1
Drawn: 0
Lost: 1

Last five Wrexham results

Ipswich Town (FA Cup, h) W 1-0
Bristol City (a) D 2-2
Ipswich Town (h) W 5-3
Portsmouth (h) W 2-1
Charlton Athletic (a) W 1-0

Last Championship line-up

Charlton Athletic 0-1 Wrexham
Saturday 28 February
Team (3-4-2-1): Okonkwo; Cleworth, Hyam (c), Doyle; Kabore (Longman 68), Dobson (Scarr 89), O'Brien, Thomason; Rathbone (Vyner 77), Broadhead (Windass 69); Moore (Smith 89)
Scorer: Rathbone 30

Discipline

There are no suspensions. Benoit Badiashile, Pedro Neto and Mamadou Sarr are all one yellow card away from a suspension in the competition should we progress.

Yellow cards only count in the competition in which they are received. In the FA Cup, two bookings will result in a one-match suspension. All yellow cards accumulated in the earlier rounds are wiped clean after the quarter-final stage, meaning players cannot miss the semi-final or final due to yellow card accumulation.

Match officials

Referee: Peter Bankes
Assistants: Edward Smart and Blake Antrobus
Fourth official: Adam Herczeg
VAR: Paul Howard
Assistant VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis

Peter Bankes is officiating his fifth Blues match this season, all away from Stamford Bridge, having already refereed our games at Manchester United, Burnley and Fulham, as well as the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal.