Many thousands of articles have been written and dozens of documentary episodes have been aired on Disney+ about the recent and rapid rise of Wrexham AFC.
Since Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds purchased the club in February 2021 for an estimated £2m – and Phil Parkinson was installed as manager – they have ascended three divisions in the past three seasons and now sit in a Championship play-off position.
A fourth successive promotion is a distinct possibility. Their march up the leagues has been temporarily halted for this FA Cup date with Chelsea – the first meeting between the sides in 44 years.
Parkinson's side have already dispatched top-flight opposition in the cup this season, with a penalty shootout win over Nottingham Forest in round three, and the 58-year-old was the last manager to knock the Blues out of the FA Cup with a non-Premier League side when his League One Bradford City achieved a 4-2 victory at Stamford Bridge in 2015. Jose Mourinho was Chelsea boss at the time.
It's unlikely the visitors will be daunted by the occasion and they have already made light work of second-tier opposition in this season's competition. A 5-1 thrashing of Charlton Athletic in head coach Liam Rosenior's first game in charge was followed by a 4-0 victory over Hull City, with both triumphs occurring away from home.
The Blues arrive in north Wales fresh from a comprehensive 4-1 win at Aston Villa, which was arguably the most complete display of Rosenior’s two months at the helm.
Only 21 league places will separate the sides come kick-off on Saturday, but you only need to cast your mind back three years to illustrate the obvious gulf that still remains. Both clubs played on this day in 2023 and both were victorious, but at very different levels of football.
Wrexham cruised to a 4-0 win at Dagenham & Redbridge as they conquered all before them to win the National League with a record 111 points, while just 18 miles down the road Chelsea defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in a Champions League last 16 fixture.
Did you know?
- Chelsea have progressed from each of their past 24 FA Cup ties against lower league opposition. However, their last defeat to a non-Premier League side in this competition was a 4-2 home reverse to Phil Parkinson's Bradford City in January 2015 in the fourth round.
