The FA Cup fifth round draw has delivered a dream scenario for Wrexham, as the Welsh club will host Premier League giants Chelsea at the Racecourse Ground. This marks Wrexham's first appearance at this stage of the competition since 1997, following their impressive 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town on Friday, which came after they stunned Nottingham Forest in the third round.
Parkinson's Wish Granted for Wrexham
After the Ipswich win, Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson expressed his hope for a home tie against top-flight opposition, and his wish has been granted with the visit of Liam Rosenior's Chelsea side. Chelsea secured their place with a dominant 4-0 win over Rosenior's former club Hull City in the fourth round, thanks to a hat-trick from Pedro Neto.
Other Key Fixtures in the Draw
Elsewhere, Manchester City face a challenging away trip to Newcastle United, a repeat of their recent Carabao Cup semi-final clash. Liverpool will travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Arsenal have been drawn away at League One Mansfield Town. Nigel Clough's Mansfield have already caused upsets this season by beating Sheffield United and Burnley away from home in the competition.
Arsenal, who thrashed Wigan 4-0 in the fourth round on Sunday, are aiming to win their first trophy since lifting the FA Cup in 2020. In other ties, Fulham will host Southampton, and Port Vale or Bristol City will entertain Sunderland. Port Vale's original match against Bristol City was postponed on Saturday due to a waterlogged pitch at their home stadium.
Potential Giant-Killers and Manager Reactions
Giant-killers Macclesfield will travel to West Ham United if they beat Brentford on Monday evening. Leeds United have been pitted at home against in-form Championship side Norwich City. The fifth round matches are scheduled to be played over the weekend of March 7.
Speaking after Wrexham's victory over Ipswich, Parkinson highlighted the excitement surrounding the draw. He said, 'The percentages are in our favour to draw a Premier League team in the fifth round. Is it greedy to ask for another home draw after being at home in the last two rounds? I don’t think so. It’s still a 50-50 shout. I would love to give our supporters another great cup tie here at home. When you get into this round, you’ve got a great chance of bringing a big team here or playing them away.'
Striker Josh Windass added humorously, 'Hopefully it's not a big team away because you don’t touch the ball.' This sentiment underscores the advantage of a home fixture for underdog teams in such high-stakes matches.
Full FA Cup Fifth Round Draw
- Fulham v Southampton
- Port Vale or Bristol City v Sunderland
- Newcastle United v Manchester City
- Leeds United v Norwich City
- Mansfield Town v Arsenal
- Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool
- Wrexham v Chelsea
- West Ham v Macclesfield or Brentford
The upcoming weekend promises thrilling encounters as clubs vie for a place in the quarter-finals, with Wrexham's clash against Chelsea capturing the imagination of football fans nationwide.
