Wrexham delivered one of the early shocks of the 2025–26 Emirates FA Cup, eliminating Premier League side Nottingham Forest on penalties after a breathless 3–3 draw over 120 minutes. On a feverish Friday night (9 January 2026), the Championship club twice built a two-goal cushion, saw it wiped out at the death, and still found the composure to win a shootout 4–3 — thanks to a heroic display from goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.

This third round proper tie had everything: momentum swings, brave defending, a late equaliser, and a goalkeeper stepping into the spotlight when it mattered most. For Wrexham, it’s a famous cup win and a ticket to the fourth round. For Forest, last season’s semi-finalists and a side that won three shootouts during that run, it’s a sobering exit.

How the upset took shape: a first-half surge

Forest, who made eight changes from their midweek league win, started brighter and created the first openings. An early chance went begging when Igor Jesus could not keep his effort down, and an initial breakthrough for the visitors was chalked off for handball in the build-up. The warning signs were there, but Wrexham were patient and exact with their moments.

Then came the punch Wrexham needed. After a cagey spell, the hosts struck on 37 minutes and again three minutes later, turning a tight first half into a 2–0 lead by the break. The home crowd roared. The game suddenly looked very different.

“Two goals before half-time and the belief just exploded — that’s what cup nights are made of.”

Forest fight back: the triple change and Hudson-Odoi’s spark

Sean Dyche moved quickly at half-time, making a triple substitution that tilted the field. Neco Williams, Nicolás Domínguez, and Morgan Gibbs-White injected urgency and control, and the Premier League side began to pin Wrexham back. The pressure told on 63 minutes as Forest made it 2–1, and although Wrexham restored their two-goal cushion to 3–1 approaching the final quarter-hour, the visitors would not go away.

The key man was Callum Hudson-Odoi. Off the bench and full of intent, he pulled Forest to 3–2 before producing the moment of the night in stoppage time, bringing down Nicolo Savona’s pass on his chest and lashing a volley into the far corner to force extra time with seconds left. From 2–0 down, then 3–1 down, Forest had survived — for now.

“Hudson-Odoi changed the rhythm by himself — that late volley felt like a Premier League punch on a Championship chin.”

Extra time: big chances, no winner

Extra time brought tension and half-chances rather than a knockout blow. Wrexham defender Dan Scarr headed wide in the first period, while Forest looked for the hat-trick moment from Hudson-Odoi and probed through Williams. Both teams had legs fading and nerves rising.

Okonkwo, busy throughout, stayed sharp, having already denied efforts earlier in the night, including saves from Luiz and Dan Ndoye during Forest’s second-half surge. After 120 minutes, nothing could separate them. Penalties would decide it.

Okonkwo’s shootout: the saves that sealed it

Penalty shootouts create heroes and heartache. Wrexham got both in the first few kicks. James McClean fired over to open the contest, handing Forest an immediate edge. But Okonkwo swung the mood back, saving Igor Jesus’ effort at once. When veteran forward Jay Rodriguez converted his kick, the pressure shifted onto Forest.

It all came down to a final face-off: Omari Hutchinson’s low strike looked precise, but Okonkwo guessed right, got down to the bottom corner, and parried it away. Wrexham had their 4–3 shootout win and a night to remember.

Shootout turning points:

• James McClean (Wrexham) over the bar
• Igor Jesus (Forest) saved by Arthur Okonkwo
• Jay Rodriguez (Wrexham) scored to ramp up pressure
• Omari Hutchinson (Forest) saved by Okonkwo — tie won

“Okonkwo didn’t just save penalties — he saved the whole tie, twice over.”

Why this matters: a true cup upset with echoes of last season

Forest came into the competition with pedigree, having reached last season’s semi-finals and survived three shootouts on the way. That history made the ending even more striking. Wrexham beat a top-flight club not by clinging on, but by trading blows and then holding their nerve from the spot.

For Wrexham, this is more than a fourth-round place. It strengthens belief that their game plan stands up to Premier League pressure. They weathered a fierce second-half storm, responded to a stoppage-time gut punch, and still found a way. The blend of courage, fitness, and a goalkeeper in peak form was enough to send a capacity crowd home singing.

For Forest, the story is more frustrating. The eight changes gave minutes and managed workloads after a big midweek win, but they also gave Wrexham a window to strike before the established leaders arrived after half-time. Dyche’s triple change did turn the game, and Hudson-Odoi’s brace almost flipped it completely. But in cup football, almost is not enough. At 12 yards, the margins are brutal.

What’s next for Wrexham and Forest

Wrexham move on to the FA Cup fourth round with momentum and a headline victory. The fixture list will get tougher, but nights like this energize a whole club. Expect Okonkwo’s name to echo for weeks — not just for the saves in the shootout, but for a full match performance that kept the dream alive.

Forest must turn the page quickly. There were positives in the response, in the control after the half-time changes, and in Hudson-Odoi’s sharpness. Yet the exit stings, especially given last season’s deep run. The lesson is clear: in the FA Cup, you cannot give a hungry underdog a two-goal head start, and you cannot expect the lottery of penalties to always pay out.

On a night that opened third round proper weekend with an upset, Wrexham embraced the chaos and owned the moment. The FA Cup is built on stories like this one — when a club refuses to be a supporting act and writes its own script under pressure. Wrexham did just that.