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LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 28: Phil Parkinson, Manager of Wrexham, celebrates victory following the Sky Bet Championship match between Charlton Athletic and Wrexham AFC at The Valley on February 28, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Wrexham play with a 3-4-3 formation, a high press and quick verticality. The team relies on aggressive movement to win the ball high up the pitch and attack quickly, with active wing-backs providing width.
The Red Dragons apply an intense high press to disrupt opponents in their own half and focus on verticality, pushing the ball forward rapidly into the final third. This, in turn, creates overloads in wide areas through overlapping runs from midfielders and wing-backs.
When under heavy pressure from opponents, they defend in numbers, packing the penalty area and swarming attackers to deny clean opportunities.
Phil Parkinson emphasises structural discipline and organisational shape over chaotic pressing when clean sheets are required against high-level attacks.
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Out of their own half, Wrexham avoid overcomplicating things. They frequently utilise direct passes into a target striker to bypass the opponent’s initial press and shift play quickly up the pitch. A core pillar of their possession is hunting the “second ball”.
Once a direct pass is made towards the forwards, deep midfielders aggressively push up to collect loose balls and regain possession in advanced positions.
When the opponent has the ball in their own half, Wrexham set up in a mid-block. As the opponent advances, the wing-backs quickly drop deep to shift the shape from a 3-5-2 or 3-4-2-1 into a rigid 5-3-2 or 5-4-1.
The midfield unit stays incredibly narrow and compact to deny passes through the centre of the pitch. They deliberately force the opposition to play the ball wide into the flanks, where Wrexham’s wing-backs and wide centre-backs swarm the attacker against the touchline.
In a deep low block, Wrexham rely on pure physicality. Centre-backs are tasked with aggressively contesting aerial duels and clearing crosses, while the midfield line drops to the edge of the 18-yard box to mop up second balls and deflections.
The Red Dragons have been on quite the journey over the last four years, catapulting themselves from the National League all the way to the EFL Championship via back-to-back-to-back promotions.
Wrexham were no strangers to the Football League before their 15-year exile into non-league. They were a steady third and fourth-tier side between the 1980s and 2000s, with a three-year stint in the second tier between 1978 and 1982. However, they were generally regarded as a third or fourth-tier club before their relegation from the Football League.
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Wrexham were founded by members of Wrexham Cricket Club in 1864, who wanted sporting activities for the winter months.
The 23-time Welsh Cup winners have previously competed in leagues such as the Birmingham and District League, The Combination and the Welsh League between 1890 and 1921. Before 1890, the North Wales side competed solely in cup competitions.
Sunderland will meet some familiar faces in this fixture, with Phil Parkinson – who managed our opponents for five and a half years – also having taken charge at the Stadium of Light for 38 matches, winning 16 of them across two campaigns. He moved to Wrexham in the summer of 2021 after leaving Wearside in November 2020.
Wrexham also have a few former Sunderland men on their books, with 2022 League One play-off-winning duo Callum Doyle and Nathan Broadhead, as well as former Sunderland midfielder George Dobson, all included in the travelling squad.
This match kicks off at 17:00 BST and will be broadcast live on the official SAFC website.
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