Wrexham vs. Chelsea LIVE Updates: Sam Smith gives Wrexham a shock early lead! (1-0)

Chelsea's Romeo Lavia gets the first yellow card of the game after committing a foul (shirt pull).

Wrexham's Sam Smith races into the penalty area, meets a stunning cross, and smashes the ball into the back of the net.

The Championship side bursts out of the blocks as Smith finds the back of the net within the opening minutes, sending the home crowd at the Racecourse Ground into a frenzy. Chelsea is caught cold, and the Red Dragons already look dangerous, showing they’re not here just to make up the numbers in this FA Cup tie!

22:78 is the current ball possession percentage for both sides.

Here’s the head‑to‑head record between Wrexham and Chelsea ahead of their FA Cup fifth‑round match:

• Total competitive meetings: 9

• Chelsea wins: 4

• Draws: 3

• Wrexham wins: 2

Their last competitive encounter was in 1982, and it ended in a 1‑0 Wrexham victory in the old Second Division. It is the most recent win in their historic rivalry. In all competitions, Chelsea has the edge overall, but Wrexham holds memorable results on home soil from that era as well.

Aside from Wrexham vs. Chelsea, two other FA Cup fifth-round ties are being played on Saturday (March 7, 2026):

FA Cup matches on Saturday

• Mansfield Town vs. Arsenal (1-2)

• Wrexham vs. Chelsea

• Newcastle United vs. Manchester City

The action began earlier in the day with Mansfield Town losing 1-2 at home to Arsenal, followed by Wrexham vs. Chelsea at the Racecourse Ground, and the evening game sees Newcastle United face Manchester City at St. James’ Park for a place in the quarter-finals.

The referee for the FA Cup fifth-round match between Wrexham and Chelsea is Peter Bankes.

Match Officials

• Referee: Peter Bankes
• Assistant Referees: Edward Smart, Blake Antrobus
• Fourth Official: Adam Herczeg
• VAR: Paul Howard
• AVAR: Sian Massey-Ellis

Bankes is an experienced Premier League referee who has been part of England’s top officiating group for several years and regularly handles high-profile matches across the Premier League and domestic cups.

Head coach Phil Parkinson confirmed the 11 players who'll start the game against Chelsea:

Formation: 3-4-2-1

• GK: Arthur Okonkwo

• DEF: Max Cleworth, Dominic Hyam, Callum Doyle

• MID: Issa Kaboré, George Dobson, Lewis O’Brien, George Thomason

• ATT: Josh Windass, Nathan Broadhead

• ST: Sam Smith

Head coach Liam Rosenior confirmed the 11 players who'll start the game against Wrexham:

Formation: 3-4-3

• GK: Robert Sánchez

• DEF: Mamadou Sarr, Benoît Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo

• MID: Jorrel Hato, Andrey Santos, Roméo Lavia, Josh Acheampong

• ATT: Alejandro Garnacho, Liam Delap, Pedro Neto

The FA Cup fifth-round clash between Wrexham and Chelsea will take place at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham, Wales, the historic home stadium of Wrexham. Known locally as SToK Cae Ras, the venue is one of the oldest international soccer stadiums still in use and has been Wrexham’s home since 1864.

The stadium is expected to provide a fierce atmosphere for this cup tie, with the home supporters hoping to inspire their team to another positively surprising performance against the Premier League giant. For Chelsea, the trip to North Wales represents a tricky away test in a compact and passionate soccer setting.

Wrexham and Chelsea's game will begin at 12:45 PM (ET).

You can watch the FA Cup match live on ESPN+.

Welcome to our live coverage of the highly anticipated FA Cup fifth-round clash between EFL Championship outfit Wrexham and Premier League giant Chelsea. Stay with us for the most important information about both teams, and once the game kicks off, for minute-by-minute updates!