Ryan Reynolds was literally lost for words.
Leaning over an iPad on the sofa beside fellow Hollywood heavyweight Hugh Jackman, the Wrexham co-owner stared in disbelief as the FA Cup fifth-round draw paired his beloved club with Chelsea. Jackman — not in full Wolverine mode — gave him a playful jab in the arm.
Reynolds could only produce a stunned “ooo” while Jackman excitedly reminded him: this was exactly the kind of draw they had been hoping for — a glamorous Premier League giant coming to the Racecourse Ground.
The moment the tie was confirmed for Welsh soil in March, Reynolds finally gathered himself, looked straight at the camera and delivered the perfect three-word reaction that has already gone viral:
Embed X: https://twitter.com/VancityReynolds/status/2023509316167496184
“What the f—?”
Wrexham’s Last Meeting With Chelsea Shows the Churn for Both Clubs Chelsea thrashed Wrexham when they last met in a 2023 pre-season friendly. | Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
The last time these two sides met was a pre-season friendly in North Carolina in the summer of 2023. Chelsea won 5-0. Fast-forward two-and-a-half years and only one player from Wrexham’s starting XI that day still plays for the club — Thomas O’Connor, who has only just returned to the Racecourse after a loan spell at Peterborough United.
That level of turnover is no surprise. Back then Wrexham had just won the National League (England’s fifth tier). Now they are pushing for a place in the Premier League — potentially just 15 wins away from the promised land.
The rapid rise has claimed several cult heroes along the way. Fan favourite Elliot Lee left for Doncaster Rovers in February in search of regular first-team football. Others were moved on more forcibly.
Paul Mullin had been the club’s top scorer for three straight seasons but struggled to make the step up to League One last term. He was not given the chance to prove himself in the Championship and made no secret of how bitterly disappointed he was at being pushed out.
Wrexham’s Starting XI vs. Chelsea (2023)
| Player | Current Club |
|---|---|
| Ben Foster | Retired |
| Ben Tozer | Retired |
| Thomas O’Connor | Wrexham |
| Eoghan O’Connell | Barnsley |
| Elliot Lee | Doncaster Rovers |
| James Jones | Burton Albion |
| Andrew Cannon | Burton Albion (loan from Wrexham) |
| Jacob Mendy | Peterborough United |
| Anthony Forde | Altrincham |
| Paul Mullin | Bradford City (loan from Wrexham) |
| Sam Dalby | Bolton Wanderers |
Chelsea have been through their own whirlwind since that comfortable 5-0 win. Every single one of their goalscorers from that day has since departed Stamford Bridge.
Ian Maatsen scored twice but lasted only six more months at Chelsea before a loan to Borussia Dortmund and a permanent move to Aston Villa. Conor Gallagher was sold to Atlético Madrid in 2024, while Christopher Nkunku finally left for good last summer.
Ben Chilwell remains under the BlueCo umbrella at sister club Strasbourg. Earlier this season he admitted: “Chelsea were honest with me and there’s no resentment, but of course I’ve got an ego, so it would be a nice feeling to prove some people wrong.”
A Wrexham victory in March would prove an awful lot of people wrong — and with the current squad hitting impressive form, it is far from impossible.
The Hollywood fairytale just got another blockbuster chapter.