Online Reporter
ARSENAL head to Mansfield and Chelsea face Wrexham in the FA Cup fifth round, with the English Premier League football clubs aiming to avoid embarrassing giant-killings.
Owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, Wrexham are no strangers to star power these days, but the Championship club will get a taste of what they hope their future looks like when Chelsea visit the Racecourse Ground today.
Wrexham are fighting to win promotion to the Premier League to cap an incredible rise since Reynolds and Mac bought the team in 2020.
Currently sixth in the second tier, Wrexham are aiming to make it four successive promotions this term, which would ensure the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City are among the glamourous visitors to the modest north Wales town next season.
With that lofty goal in mind, Phil Parkinson’s side can measure themselves against elite opposition in the shape of eight-time FA Cup winners Chelsea.
Wrexham have already beaten Nottingham Forest in the third round this season. And Parkinson hopes they can rekindle the spirit that inspired the club, then in the fourth tier, to a famous FA Cup win over Arsenal in 1992.
“I think you’ve got to go into every game believing and if not you may as well not turn up,” Parkinson said.
“We’ve got to go in with belief but also an understanding of the underdog mentality and what boxes we’ve got to tick to make it as difficult as possible for Chelsea.”
Mansfield boss Nigel Clough has a rich heritage as the son of one of football’s most iconic managers, but FA Cup success has been elusive for his family.
Clough’s father Brian led Derby and Nottingham Forest to one English title each and won the European Cup twice with the latter but was never able to get his hands on the FA Cup.
The closest he came was a 1991 final defeat against Tottenham when his son Nigel was in the Forest attack.
FA Cup fifth round fixtures:
Today: Mansfield v Arsenal (2:15pm), Wrexham v Chelsea (7:45pm), Newcastle v Manchester City (10pm)
Tomorrow: Fulham v Southampton (2pm), Port Vale v Sunderland (3:30pm), Leeds v Norwich (6:30pm)
Monday: West Ham v Brentford (9:30pm) — AFP Sport.
