By
Blake Roberts
Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 17 July 2023
Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief
Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.
English Premier League giants Chelsea will lock horns with the newly promoted English Football League (EFL) Two side Wrexham in the 2023 Florida Cup on Wednesday, 20 July as soccer action returns to the best online soccer betting sites. The match is expected to kick off at 7:30 PM ET and will be played at the Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
A trophy hangs in the balance, but the stakes are not high for both sides as the encounter will be considered as nothing more than a pre-season friendly. However, a win for one side could set the tone for the remainder of their pre-season before their respective domestic leagues commence in August this year.
The 2022-23 English Premier League season was one to forget for Chelsea. Under the new ownership of Todd Boehly, quite a few unexpected decisions were made, leaving the fans perplexed. The repercussions of these decisions were reflected in the club’s domestic and European club competitions performance.
Chelsea sacked two managers during the 2022-23 campaign. Thomas Tuchel was sacked and went on to join Bayern Munich. His successor and former Brighton and Hove Albion manager, Graham Potter, was brought in to replace the German. After winning just 12 out of 31 games, Potter was given the boot. Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard took over as interim manager till the end of the season.
Approaching the new season, Chelsea announced that Mauricio Pochettino would be their next manager. The former Paris Saint-Germain boss has a lot of weight on his shoulders as he looks to turn things around for the Blues. The initial impressions of his tactics will be seen during the pre-season friendlies, starting with the 2023 Florida Cup.
Wrexham, on the other hand, have enjoyed the 2022-23 campaign. They played their 15th successive season in the National League before securing promotion to the EFL League Two after winning the competition. In other domestic competitions, they did the best they could and reached the fourth round of the FA Cup and FA Trophy.
Wrexham will play in the EFL for the first time since the 2007-08 season. The influence of owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has been quite helpful for Wrexham. Just three years after the takeover completion, the club has been promoted to an upper tier and is targeting consecutive promotions.
Striker Paul Mulling started all 46 games for Wrexham in the league last season and scored 38 goals. In other competitions, he scored nine, bringing his season tally to 47 goals. Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson is gearing up for a new and bigger challenge this season, and facing Chelsea in the 2023 Florida Cup will be a perfect start for the 55-year-old.
After a tormenting season, the Chelsea faithful are seeking respite during the summer transfer window. However, things are not getting any better. The Blues have secured the signings of two players but have offloaded several first-team regulars. Christopher Nkunku has arrived at Stamford Bridge from RB Leipzig, and Nicolas Jackson has been snatched from Villarreal.
The long departure list features big names like N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Kai Havertz, and Mason Mount. Many of these players have been sold to direct rivals. Kovacic has joined Premier League champions Manchester City, Havertz has joined rivals Arsenal, and Manchester United has snapped up Mount.
Wrexham have released quite a few players, while a couple of them have left on a free transfer. Jake Hyde has joined Yeovil Town, and Ryan Austin has moved to Caernarfon. Harry Lennon announced his retirement last season, while players like Will Mountfield, Dan Jones, Rory Watson, and a few more have been released.
Chelsea will certainly not field an extremely strong side against Wrexham in the 2023 Florida Cup encounter. However, Wrexham may not take their approach and hit a vulnerable Chelsea side with everything they have got. It will not be an easy task to take down Chelsea, but at the same time, it is not an insurmountable challenge.
Top scorer Mullin is expected to start with Ryan Barnett and Sam Dalby. Negotiations with Ben Foster are ongoing for a one-year extension, and the shot-stopper could be between the sticks for the upcoming encounter. Ben Tozer, Eoghan O’Connell, Jacob Mendy, and Andy Cannon could start in defense if Parkinson decides to field his strongest eleven.
Meanwhile, the Chelsea lineup could feature a few academy graduates alongside players like Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke, and Mykhaylo Mudryk. It will be interesting to see who Pochettino deploys in midfield alongside Enzo Fernandez, as Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have left the club, leaving a void in that area.
Even at half-strength, Chelsea could prove to be a nuisance for Wrexham. However, an upset could be on the cards if Wrexham come out all guns blazing and exploit the shaky Chelsea defense in the opening stages of the game. It will be a difficult game to call, but Wrexham may just be able to pip the six-time Premier League champions.
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