Hollywood-backed Wrexham stun Nottingham Forest in FA Cup thriller decided on penalties

Championship side Wrexham produced a dramatic FA Cup upset against Premier League visitors Nottingham Forest, winning 4-3 on penalties after a breathless 3-3 draw at the Racecourse Ground in the third round of the competition.

The tie, played in front of a raucous home crowd in north Wales, saw Wrexham eliminate top-flight opposition in the FA Cup for the first time in 26 years, adding another remarkable chapter to the club’s rapid rise under Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.[3][4][7]

Wrexham struck twice before half-time to seize control of the contest. Full-back Liberato Cacace opened the scoring, before midfielder Ollie Rathbone doubled the advantage to send the Championship side into the break with a deserved 2-0 lead.[4][7]

Forest, heavily rotated by manager Sean Dyche with eight changes from their midweek Premier League win over West Ham United, struggled to impose themselves early on but improved after the interval as second-half substitutes injected urgency and quality.[4][7]

In the 64th minute, striker Igor Jesus pulled one back for Forest with a header that went in off the post, briefly silencing the home crowd and shifting the momentum towards the top-flight side.[4][7]

Any hopes of a straightforward Forest comeback were checked when Wrexham defender Dominic Hyam restored the two-goal cushion with a diving header around 10 minutes later, putting the hosts 3-1 up and seemingly on the brink of a famous win inside 90 minutes.[4]

However, Forest winger Callum Hudson-Odoi turned the match into a classic FA Cup spectacle. He scored twice late on, first in the 76th minute and then again in the 89th, to haul the visitors level at 3-3 and force extra time.[4][7]

Neither side could find a winner in the additional 30 minutes, despite periods of pressure at both ends, and the tie went to a penalty shootout to decide who would progress to the fourth round.[3][4][7]

In the shootout, Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo emerged as the hero. Although teammate James MacLean missed from the spot, Okonkwo produced two crucial saves, denying Igor Jesus and Omari Hutchinson to secure a 4-3 penalty victory for Wrexham and send the home supporters into celebration.[3][4][7]

Speaking afterwards, Okonkwo said the squad had drawn inspiration from the club’s history and reputation for upsetting higher-ranked opponents, adding that the players simply wanted to enjoy the moment after knocking out a Premier League side.[4][7]

The result extends Wrexham’s impressive form: the Welsh club, now in the second tier following three consecutive promotions under their high-profile ownership, sits in mid-table but close to the Championship play-off positions and has now recorded five straight wins in all competitions.[2][4]

For Forest, who came into the tie sitting in the lower half of the Premier League table, the defeat represents a significant early exit from the FA Cup despite a late fightback and a strong contribution from Hudson-Odoi off the bench.[2][4][7]

The victory sends Wrexham into the FA Cup fourth round draw, where they will look to continue a cup run that now stands alongside their historic wins over top-flight opposition, including a famous victory against Middlesbrough in 1999.[3][4][7]

With global attention still focused on the club due to its Hollywood-backed resurgence and recent promotions, this latest upset against Nottingham Forest is likely to intensify interest in Wrexham’s pursuit of both further FA Cup progress and a push towards the Premier League.