Wrexham’s 5-5 draw with Swindon this weekend continued their remarkable trend for high-scoring games since their takeover by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
The actors have brought a Hollywood feel to the club on their rise from the National League, with blockbuster finishes and scorelines to stretch credulity.
Here, the PA news agency looks at Wrexham’s most outlandish storylines in recent seasons.
Serial dramaThe end of the 2020-21 season gave a taste of things to come, beating Boreham Wood 3-2 and King’s Lynn 5-3 as they just missed the play-offs. After the takeover they averaged 2.54 total goals per game (scored plus conceded).
A promotion push in 2021-22 saw Wrexham score in all but six of their 54 games in all competitions, with an average of 3.20 total goals in each.
Having finished second behind Stockport, the final heartbreak was delivered in a 5-4 play-off defeat after extra time as Grimsby’s Luke Waterfall scored a 119th-minute winner.
Last season they won the National League with a record 111 points but were pushed by Notts County, whose 117 goals bettered Wrexham by one as both eclipsed Hereford’s previous record of 103.
The goals per game in Wrexham’s fixtures across all competitions – including an FA Cup run in which striker Paul Mullin finished as the competition’s top scorer – increased to 3.64.
It is currently at 5.20 this season – or 6.50 for their four League Two games, where they have both scored and conceded 13 with no other team above 10 in either category.
Goals galoreOf Wrexham’s 152 competitive games since the takeover, almost a quarter (35) have seen five or more goals.
There have been nine, and five this year alone, in which both teams have scored three times or more.
Those include beating relegated Dover 6-5 in March 2022 and Barnet 7-5 in October of that year, while Wrexham have won five and lost only two of the nine.
The latest against Swindon led Reynolds to tweet “So much heart” as both he and McElhenney stressed never to leave a game early, and James Jones and Elliot Lee’s stoppage-time goals to salvage a point added to their record of vital late strikes.
The 11-goal Dover thriller saw Jordan Davies score twice in stoppage time to complete a comeback from 5-2 down, and Mullin’s late penalty saw off Eastleigh 3-2 two weeks later.
They have scored nine and conceded seven goals in the 90th minute and beyond since the takeover – which does not even include Waterfall’s effort for Grimsby.
Farewell FosterEven by Hollywood standards, Ben Foster’s short character arc is an unlikely one.
The old hand brought out of retirement for one final mission, former Watford and England goalkeeper Foster produced the highlight of the promotion chase with a stoppage-time penalty save to secure April’s vital win over County.
After 13 league goals conceded already this season, though, the 40-year-old has abruptly and emotionally retired once more.
The EFL’s data provider Opta lists Wrexham with 3.20 expected goals against this season, excluding penalties. They have shipped 10 from those chances, in addition to James Tilley’s spot-kick for AFC Wimbledon and a pair of own goals.
“Sometimes you’ve got to be brutally honest with yourself and admit you can’t really do what you used to do,” Foster said on Instagram.
“I feel like there’s probably been about four or five goals already this season that I should be saving, goals are going in and I’m thinking ‘how haven’t you saved that?'”
Italy forward Zaniolo to miss Euro 2024 due to foot injury
Italy forward Nicolo Zaniolo will miss Euro 2024 after suffering a foot injury during Aston Villa's Premier League draw with Liverpool on Monday.
Zaniolo – who joined Unai Emery's side on a season-long loan from Galatasaray last August – came on as a second-half substitute as they fought back from 3-1 down to clinch a 3-3 draw at Villa Park.
That result moved Villa closer to securing Champions League qualification, which was confirmed when Tottenham lost 2-0 at home to Manchester City on Tuesday.
Zaniolo only lasted 14 minutes following his 65th-minute introduction before being withdrawn himself, though, and scans have shown he sustained a microfracture to his foot.
The 24-year-old has now confirmed he will be unable to feature in Italy's title defence at the Euros, with their Group B campaign set to begin against Albania on June 15.
In a post to his Instagram account, Zaniolo wrote: "Thank you for your support in these hours, to you Villans and to the many Italian and Turkish fans. I can't wait to get back on the field stronger than before!
"Unfortunately, I will have to give up my dream of representing my country in a major competition. But that day will come, I'm sure, and it will be beautiful! Come on Azzurri!"
Zaniolo also missed Italy's triumphant run at the delayed Euro 2020 three years ago as he was recovering from a ruptured cruciate ligament.
Arsenal's decision to let Miedema leave 'shocking and outrageous', says White
Arsenal's decision to let Vivianne Miedema leave the club has been described as "shocking" and "outrageous" by former Gunners striker Ellen White.
On Monday, Arsenal announced Miedema – the all-time record scorer in the Women's Super League with 79 goals in the competition – will depart when her contract expires at the end of the campaign.
Miedema helped Arsenal win the WSL title in 2018-19 and clinched the competition's Golden Boot in back-to-back seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20. In all competitions, she has scored 125 goals and added 50 assists in 172 appearances for the Gunners since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2017.
She has played just 13 games in 2023-24, however, having undergone knee surgery in March. That came after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury suffered in December 2022 sidelined her for 10 months.
Manchester City have been linked with a move for the Netherlands star, and White believes Arsenal will regret letting her go.
"I think it's an absolutely shocking decision by the club, to be honest," White told BBC Radio 5 Live's Women's Football Weekly.
"I just think it's shocking that they haven't shown her the love to want to keep her at the club.
"If she does want to go to someone else in the WSL, I hope she goes to that team and sticks two fingers up at Arsenal and scores a few goals and celebrates hard. It's just outrageous. She is not going to be short of offers."
Xavi has 'zero doubts' over Araujo's Barcelona future
Ronald Araujo’s Barcelona future is still undecided, but Xavi says he has "zero doubts" over the defender’s decision.
The Uruguayan has been offered a contract extension to keep him at the club beyond 2026, but Araujo is yet to sign it.
This season, he has made 36 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona, though he dropped to the bench for their win over Real Sociedad on Monday.
Asked about Araujo’s future on Wednesday, Xavi said: "I talk a lot with Araujo, and he knows what I think. There are zero doubts about his future on my side.
"He knows what I want for his future. I always try to speak honestly and sincerely and he’s happy here."
Reports suggest that Bayern Munich and Manchester United are interested in signing Araujo if he does decide to leave Barcelona.
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