Nottingham Forest were eliminated from the 2025-26 FA Cup by Wrexham, a result that stands as one of the sharper upsets of this season’s competition. Chelsea then ended the Welsh club’s run, winning 4-2 in extra time on March 7, 2026, at Stok Cae Ras.
Wrexham, an EFL Championship club, had already beaten Forest before that Saturday clash with Chelsea. For Premier League supporters, the Forest exit carries weight beyond a single bad day.
How Wrexham Beat Nottingham Forest in the Cup
ESPN confirmed that Wrexham “had already knocked out Premier League Nottingham Forest” before facing Chelsea in the fifth round. The exact scoreline and date of the Forest-Wrexham tie are absent from available sources, but the result is not in doubt.
Wrexham reached the fifth round for the first time in 29 years. That stat alone frames what they achieved. A club climbing through the EFL pyramid, backed by fresh investment and a clear identity, arrived at this run with genuine belief. Forest fell to that belief before Chelsea even arrived at Stok Cae Ras.
Lower-league clubs with sharp pressing systems and tactical discipline have repeatedly troubled Premier League sides who rotate or underestimate the occasion. Wrexham fit that profile. Their cup run was built on organisation, not fortune — which is what makes Forest’s exit so hard to brush aside.
Forest will need to examine how a second-tier club ended their cup ambitions while Premier League fixtures still stretched ahead. The scrutiny falls on selection, preparation, and attitude. None of those answers are available in current sources, but the question sits with the club’s coaching staff regardless.
Chelsea’s Win at Stok Cae Ras: The Details
Read more: Chelsea Beat Wrexham 4-2 in FA
Chelsea secured their quarterfinal spot with a 4-2 extra-time victory over Wrexham on March 7 at Stok Cae Ras. Josh Acheampong leveled for Chelsea for a second time before Alejandro Garnacho and João Pedro scored in extra time to seal the win.
Wrexham had George Dobson dismissed after referee Peter Bankes upgraded an initial yellow card to red following a VAR review of a foul on Garnacho. That decision shifted the tie. Playing with ten men, Wrexham could not hold on.
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior admitted his side were “lucky” to advance, pointing to two VAR calls that went against the Championship club. That public candour from a winning manager is rare. It reflects how close Wrexham came to claiming another Premier League scalp — this time against a club with far greater resources than Forest. The fact that Rosenior felt compelled to say it tells its own story about the match.
Chelsea twice came from behind before extra time settled the contest. Wrexham pushed a top-flight side for over 90 minutes with eleven men, and longer with ten. Forest had no such excuse available to them — they lost before this tie even took place.
Key Facts From Wrexham’s Cup Run
- Wrexham reached the fifth round for the first time in 29 years.
- Forest, a Premier League club, were beaten by Wrexham earlier in the 2025-26 competition.
- Chelsea won 4-2 in extra time at Stok Cae Ras on March 7, 2026.
- George Dobson received a red card after VAR upgraded his caution for a foul on Garnacho.
- Rosenior said Chelsea were “lucky,” citing two VAR decisions that went against Wrexham.
What the Cup Exit Means for Nottingham Forest
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Forest’s elimination removes one route to silverware from their 2025-26 season. The club’s focus now sits entirely with the Premier League. No public statement from Forest’s manager appears in available sources, but the hierarchy will face internal questions about how the defeat occurred.
Some managers treat early cup exits as a chance to cut fixture congestion and sharpen league focus. Others view them as failures that expose squad depth or preparation. Which lens Forest apply will shape how the remainder of their campaign unfolds. Based on current sources, no confirmed position has been stated by the club.
What is confirmed: Wrexham beat Forest, then pushed Chelsea — a club with vastly superior resources — to extra time and needed a VAR call and a red card to be stopped. That sequence makes Forest’s exit harder to explain away. Wrexham’s cup run was not built on luck. Forest were beaten by a side that had earned their place in the fifth round across multiple ties, and Chelsea barely survived the same opponent.
For supporters who remember Forest’s own cup history, losing to a Championship club in the early rounds is a result that demands answers. The club’s Premier League status did not protect them. Wrexham’s 29-year wait to reach the fifth round ended with Forest’s exit, and that fact will sit with the City Ground faithful long after this season concludes.
When did Wrexham knock Nottingham Forest out of the FA Cup?
Wrexham eliminated Nottingham Forest from the 2025-26 FA Cup before the fifth round, per ESPN’s match report from March 7, 2026. The precise date and scoreline of that tie are not confirmed in available sources, but ESPN states explicitly that Wrexham had beaten the Premier League club before facing Chelsea.
How far did Wrexham go in the 2025-26 FA Cup?
Wrexham reached the fifth round in 2025-26 — their deepest run in the competition in 29 years. They defeated Forest along the way, then lost 4-2 to Chelsea in extra time at Stok Cae Ras on March 7, 2026, ending their campaign at that stage.
What was the score when Chelsea beat Wrexham?
Chelsea beat Wrexham 4-2 in extra time in the fifth round on March 7, 2026, at Stok Cae Ras. Josh Acheampong, Alejandro Garnacho, and João Pedro scored for Chelsea. George Dobson was sent off after a VAR review during the match.
Why did Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior say his side were lucky?
Rosenior said Chelsea were “lucky” because two VAR decisions went against Wrexham during the fifth-round tie. Referee Peter Bankes also upgraded George Dobson’s yellow card to red after a VAR check, a call Rosenior acknowledged had benefited his club.
Is Nottingham Forest still in the FA Cup in 2026?
Forest are no longer in the 2025-26 FA Cup. Wrexham knocked them out before the fifth round, as confirmed by ESPN’s report on Chelsea’s March 7 win. Forest’s season now continues in the Premier League only.
