leaderlive.co.uk

Wrexham star Dobson: We can dare to dream against Chelsea in the FA Cup

Phil Parkinson's side are challenging for a play-off spot in the Championship but the Reds take a break from league action when they face the Premier League giants in a mouth-watering fifth round tie at The Racecourse.

The Blues, currently sixth in the top-flight, are favourites to progress to the quarter-finals but Dobson says the pressure if off the Reds who boast a proud tradition in the famous cup competition and will be looking to spring another upset.

"That's why you play football, isn't it? To dream and you just never know," said the midfielder, who joined Wrexham from Charlton Athletic in the summer of 2024 and is playing in the Championship for the first time in his career after helping the Reds clinch promotion from League One last season.

"It's just an incredible occasion, an incredible game for everyone at the club.

"I think we've just got to be fearless, we've got nothing to lose, have we?

"It's a fantastic chance for us to just give it everything we've got and to stay in the game for as long as possible.

"Just impose ourselves on them really and make the stadium what it has been for the club over the last few years, a really tough place to come.

"And if we can do that, you just never know. Away from home could have been a bit different but at home, you do just never know."

Wrexham beat Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest 4-3 on penalties in the third round after drawing 3-3 before a 1-0 victory over second-tier rivals Ipswich Town set up the clash with Chelsea.

Liam Rosenior's side faced Aston Villa in the Premier League last night and also travel to Paris Saint Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday, meaning the Blues boss could make changes at The Racecourse.

Dobson knows it will be a strong Chelsea side whoever is selected and he says Wrexham will give it their all in a bid to pull off a shock.

"Obviously they could make a lot of changes with the Champions League game the Wednesday after," he said.

"We're just going to attack it and give everything we've got because it is a fantastic game and it's going to be a fantastic occasion for the whole club.

"We obviously had that fantastic game against Forest and then put in a really good performance to beat Ipswich, and we're really looking forward to playing Chelsea."

Chelsea boast a star-studded squad and Dobson is relishing midfield battles with some household names.

"They've got some incredible players," he said.

"Obviously me playing in midfield, Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo are two of the best in the world so it'd be lovely to play against them."

Wrexham boast the best record in the Championship since Christmas Day with the latest victory coming on Saturday when they beat Charlton 1-0 at The Valley.

It was a hard-fought success and means the Reds, who have secured a record-breaking three successive promotions and are in the mix for a place in the Premier League for the first time in the club's history, go into the Chelsea tie on the back of three wins in a week.

"It was a real tough game against Charlton but I thought as a collective, we were fantastic and it was a really great win to top off the week," added Dobson.

Read full news in source page