For a third round in a row, Chelsea’s involvement in the FA Cup will see them take on a Championship club away from home. First Charlton, then Hull, it is now Wrexham’s turn to host Liam Rosenior’s men in one of the headline clashes of the fifth round.
Chelsea have made light work of their two previous Championship opponents, but there is a feeling that Wrexham will put up more of a fight. This is a huge occasion for the Welsh side, who last reached this stage in the competition in 1997. The Racecourse Ground will be rocking for this one, and it’s a place that is no stranger to a major upset.
Chelsea Yet to Break a Sweat
A 2-1 win at Hull City. 👏 pic.twitter.com/jmumpufQp8
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 12, 2026
An away fixture against a team one tier lower in the footballing pyramid can often have a banana skin feel to it. There have been many examples over the years of Premier League outfits crashing out to Championship opponents. Last year alone, Plymouth knocked out Liverpool in the fourth round’s biggest shock and Wolves lost away at Blackburn.
There has been absolutely zero danger of Chelsea facing a humbling exit from the FA Cup so far, though. In the third round, they breezed past Charlton despite fielding a heavily rotated team. Charlton briefly threatened to make a game of it when pulling a goal back to make it 2-1, but Marc Guiu responded with a goal just five minutes later to allay any fears.
A four-goal margin win was also the tale of the fourth round as the Blues travelled up north to take on Hull. Admittedly, Hull were not at full strength, with boss Sergej Jakirovic choosing to prioritise their promotion push over this FA Cup affair. A weakened Tigers were no match for Chelsea, who themselves made seven changes to their starting XI.
Although it took the Londoners 40 minutes to find the opener, it was a goal that always looked like coming due to their dominance. The game also saw Pedro Neto record his first career hat-trick, doing so in just a 19-minute period.
Wrexham Battle to Fifth Round
We will host Chelsea FC in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup 🏆
🔴⚪ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/0bN3laD5Un
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) February 16, 2026
For Wrexham, their journey to this stage in the competition has been a much more nail-biting one. In the third round, they looked set to eliminate Nottingham Forest when Dominici Hyam put the Red Dragons 3-1 up with just 16 minutes to go. A Callum Hudson-Odoi brace temporarily spared the blushes of the visiting Premier League foe, however, and took the game to extra time.
A goalless period of extra time enabled Wrexham keeper Arthur Okonkwo to be the game’s hero as he saved two penalties in the shootout. Their 4-3 penalty triumph was the first time that Wrexham had beaten a top-flight opponent since 1999.
In the fourth round, Wrexham faced fellow Championship promotion hopefuls Ipswich. Even though the Tractor Boys made 10 changes to their starting 11, it still proved to be a tough match that could easily have gone either way. The visitors recorded 10 shots and four big chances, while also managing 54% possession. It was a strong showing from a heavily rotated side, but they had no response to Josh Windass’s first-half strike.
Chelsea Heavy Favourites for Clash
Liam Rosenior has been able to avoid any complacency creeping in so far. In both previous rounds, his side have dominated the match as you would expect from a strong Premier League side against a second-tier opponent. This match threatens to be the most difficult one yet, though, as Wrexham will be very much up for this one, especially having eliminated a Premier League club already.
Phil Parkinson will likely name a full-strength or close to full-strength side for the clash, which is not something Chelsea have yet faced. Liam Rosenior may likely use the opportunity to rest a few legs, but there is enough strength in depth at his disposal that this should not cause any issues. Provided the Londoners play as they have in the previous two rounds, they should secure their passage to the quarter-finals.
Rosenior Taking FA Cup Seriously
Ahead of the fourth round, when questioned about how he will approach the game, the Blues’ boss said, “I don’t see it as any different to a Premier League or Champions League game. We’re going to go there with a team good enough to win. I want to take this seriously.” Even though he has used the competition to rest some players, the 41-year-old has still named strong line-ups and ensured his players do not let their energy levels drop.
There is every reason to think that the Rosenior will continue to pay real interest in the FA Cup, especially as it is Chelsea’s most likely route to silverware. The only two (realistic) options that remain are the Champions League and FA Cup. Winning the former would be a major challenge, but for the FA Cup, Chelsea are fourth favourites trading at 11/2.
For a club that has not lifted any domestic silverware since the FA Cup in 2018, this is a great opportunity to put an end to this small drought, and one Rosenior would love to seize in his first season with the Blues.