[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-detail-98":3},{"success":4,"data":5,"error":10},true,[6],{"id":7,"title":8,"content":9,"titleTh":10,"contentTh":10,"readingMinutes":11,"coverImage":12,"source":13,"sourceUrl":14,"authorName":10,"isPublished":4,"publishedAt":15,"comments":16,"createdAt":17,"updatedAt":18},98,"Eyes on big prize as Swansea and Wrexham collide","\u003Cfigure>\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F1920\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002F6440\u002Flive\u002F70e0d580-a7b8-11f1-a291-b542ee92de7c.jpg\" alt=\"An image featuring Swansea winger Eom Jisung and head coach Vitor Matos alongside Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson and striker Kieffer Moore\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\">\u003Cfigcaption>Image caption, Before last season, Swansea and Wrexham had not met in the league since 2002-03\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Cp>Swansea City and Wrexham will meet in the league for the 33rd time this Saturday evening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rarely, if ever, can there have been a more eagerly anticipated encounter between two clubs who are rivals, of sorts, despite being from opposite corners of Wales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fixture which matters most to Swansea fans is against Cardiff City, their neighbours in the south of the country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Wrexham, meanwhile, local squabbles with Chester and Shrewsbury Town have traditionally been the games which have come with the greatest significance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Swansea against Wrexham has a derby feel too, even though the cities are more than 100 miles apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this particular meeting comes with increased stakes because both clubs have eyes on the Premier League.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Who will be Wales' finest?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp><div class="ssrcss-1ogevb9-ErrorMessage eitf6465"><div class="ssrcss-h7lv7m-StyledInnerContainer eitf6464"><div class="ssrcss-nbxsk2-TextContent eitf6461"><h2 type="normal" class="ssrcss-vmnb6q-Heading e10rt3ze0">To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.<\u002Fh2><p class="ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10">This video can not be played<\u002Fp><\u002Fdiv><\u002Fdiv><\u002Fdiv>Figure caption, Swansea City want 'best team in Wales' tag - Vigouroux\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wrexham ended last season as top dogs in Wales, with Phil Parkinson's side finishing seventh in the Championship and Vitor Matos' Swansea seven points worse off in 11th.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first time since 2000-01 - when they came 10th in what is now League One - that Wrexham had finished a campaign as the best-placed Welsh side in the English pyramid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three successive promotions, Wrexham, who beat Swansea at home in March after losing the reverse fixture last December, narrowly missed out on a play-off chance in May.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But their best-in-Wales status was another sign of the extraordinary progress they have made since Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac took charge of the club in 2021.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cardiff City's promotion from League One means that for only the third time, Wales' three heavyweight clubs are together in the second tier this season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given that the three teams have never competed together in the top flight - Swansea and Cardiff have met there in just one season, while Wrexham have not played at the highest level - a three-way Championship scrap is a big deal in Wales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to an extent the fight to be crowned the nation's leading team is a sideshow, with both Swansea and Wrexham chasing a greater prize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure>\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F2560\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002Fa7af\u002Flive\u002Ff3529fb0-a7ba-11f1-b5cf-8556ae508a51.jpg\" alt=\"Kieffer Moore holds off Ben Cabango at the Swansea.com Stadium last season\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\">\u003Cfigcaption>Image caption, Swansea beat Wrexham 2-1 at home last season before Wrexham won the return fixture 2-0\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Cp>Most observers would regard Cardiff as outsiders to feature in the promotion race next spring as they look to re-establish themselves at second-tier level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the picture is different for Swansea and Wrexham, who both showed considerable ambition in the transfer market for the second year in a row this summer as they look to compete with the Championship's top sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These are very early days in the season, but the signs from Swansea have been encouraging, with a tally of 10 points from four games putting them on top of the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They have conceded only one league goal so far - the best record in the EFL - while Matos' team produced some of Swansea's best football in years during Tuesday's win over Watford.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Swans are in buoyant mood, while Wrexham should make the journey south with renewed confidence following their midweek triumph at Millwall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Red Dragons endured a concerning start to the season, with chances going begging in their draws with Cardiff and Watford before they were deservedly beaten at home by a Birmingham City team who were under pressure to deliver a result.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the mood at the Racecourse has lightened significantly thanks to that emphatic victory over a Millwall side who are widely tipped to compete for promotion once more this season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another away success this weekend would make this a huge week for Parkinson and his players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A home win, by contrast, would add to the feeling that Matos' new-look team could end Swansea's run of five successive mid-table Championship finishes by securing a place in the newly extended play-offs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Latest Swansea City news, analysis and fan views\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swansea on the way to reviving style - Matos\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Latest Wrexham news, analysis and fan views\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Big names - and big transfer windows\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cfigure>\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F2560\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002Fe212\u002Flive\u002F60292c30-a7bb-11f1-b5cf-8556ae508a51.jpg\" alt=\"Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac celebrate in the commentary box during Wrexham's win over Swansea in March\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\">\u003Cfigcaption>Image caption, Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac were in the commentary box at the most recent Wrexham-Swansea fixture\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Cp>The fact that Swansea against Wrexham has been selected for a Saturday evening live television slot says something about the interest in the game, which will be watched well beyond Wales' border.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There will be plenty looking on from the United States, for example, given the owners of the two clubs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the red corner are Reynolds and Mac, whose Welcome to Wrexham television series has turned what was a non-league football club into a global brand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the white corner are Snoop Dogg, Luka Modric and Martha Stewart, all of whom have become co-owners at Swansea over the past 17 months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The set-up at each club is different, with Reynolds and Mac the majority owners of Wrexham while Swansea's big names in the boardroom hold only minor stakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the idea at Swansea, whose majority owners are American businessmen Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen, is to "do a Wrexham" by raising their profile through the non-playing stars associated with the club.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cfigure>\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F3840\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002Fab93\u002Flive\u002Fbe8583a0-a7bb-11f1-b5cf-8556ae508a51.jpg\" alt=\"Snoop Dogg at Swansea's game against Preston last season\" width=\"3840\">\u003Cfigcaption>Image caption, American rapper Snoop Dogg became a Swansea co-owner in July 2025\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003Cp>The theory is that increased profile means increased income, which in turn allows more money to be spent on strengthening the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this stage, it is difficult to judge what difference Snoop and Co have made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what is not in question is that for a second successive year, Swansea showed significant ambition in the transfer market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight years after a golden period in their history ended with relegation from the Premier League, Swansea look like a club determined to have a serious go at getting back to the highest level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Wrexham, the goal is to join the elite for the first time, with their intent even more apparent based on the head-turning sums they have spent on transfers since promotion to the Championship in 2025.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We wait to discover whether either club has sufficient resources to mount a genuine push for the Premier League this season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And while nothing will be decided in early September, there may be a few clues on offer this weekend.\u003C\u002Fp>",null,6,"https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fbranded_sport\u002F1200\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002F6440\u002Flive\u002F70e0d580-a7b8-11f1-a291-b542ee92de7c.jpg","bbc","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fsport\u002Ffootball\u002Farticles\u002Fcwyzn1v34ddo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","2026-09-05T09:03:04Z",[],"2026-09-05T09:31:02.178102Z","2026-09-05T09:31:32.162136Z"]