Shock and glamour in fa cup draw as Mansfield host Arsenal and Wrexham welcome Chelsea
The FA Cup fifth-round draw produced a mix of David-versus-Goliath fixtures and heavyweight clashes, with League One Mansfield Town handed a home tie against Arsenal and Wrexham drawn to entertain Chelsea. The remaining ties include a repeat of a recent League Cup semi-final as Manchester City travel to Newcastle, while several ties hinge on a postponed fourth-round replay scheduled for early March.
Giant-killers, drama and a Mansfield milestone
Mansfield Town will play Arsenal in the fifth round after the Stags secured a stunning 2-1 comeback win at Burnley in the fourth round. That victory at Turf Moor marked a dramatic turnaround in the second half and sends Mansfield into the last 16 of the competition for the first time since 1975. The tie promises to be a major occasion for the League One side, who will welcome one of the competition's most successful clubs to their ground.
Elsewhere among the ties, Manchester City are set to visit Newcastle in what will be one of two all-Premier League meetings in the fifth round — a repeat of a fixture that produced drama earlier this season in the League Cup semi-finals. Championship outfit Wrexham will host Chelsea at the Racecourse Ground, a draw that has generated notable excitement given the club's recent high-profile ownership and growing profile. Wrexham reached the fifth round after a narrow win over Ipswich Town, courtesy of a 34th-minute Josh Windass strike, marking their best cup run since the late 1990s.
Unsettled ties and fixture timings
Sunderland's next opponent remains uncertain after their potential fourth-round opponents failed to complete their tie due to a waterlogged pitch. Port Vale and Bristol City will contest a replay on Tuesday, March 3 at 2: 45 PM ET to determine who travels to Sunderland. That result will finalise another interesting path through the last 16.
All fifth-round matches are scheduled for the weekend of March 7-8 (ET), with exact kick-off times to be confirmed by the clubs. The draw has set the stage for a weekend of high-stakes cup football, balancing potential upsets with marquee match-ups that could shape the remainder of the competition.
Celebrity reaction and wider context
Wrexham's draw with Chelsea has already sparked a vivid public reaction from the club's co-owner, who was seen expressing disbelief and elation in a short video shared online, joined by a long-time supporter and friend. The pair celebrated the prospect of hosting one of England's most decorated clubs, capturing the sense of occasion among fans and generating a buzz around the Racecourse Ground ahead of the march fixtures.
The draw underlines the FA Cup's capacity to produce memorable cup narratives: lower-league sides riding the momentum of giant-killing results, top-tier clubs facing tricky away trips, and the potential for dramatic replays. For Mansfield, the trip down memory lane to a fifth-round berth not seen since 1975 is a story steeped in local pride. For Wrexham, the home tie against a powerhouse offers commercial and sporting spotlight, while the Newcastle–Manchester City tie promises high-quality football and further rivalry after their League Cup meeting.
Supporters can expect ticket information and matchday arrangements to be released in the coming days. The weekend of March 7-8 (ET) will deliver the next round of FA Cup drama, with underdogs looking to upset the established order and heavyweight clashes offering a test of depth and ambition for those still chasing silverware.
