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Joao Pedro scored a crucial second-half equaliser to rescue a 2-2 draw for Chelsea against promoted Hull City at Stamford Bridge, curling a left-footed finish into the near post after Cole Palmer’s low cross to cancel out a first-half fightback from the visitors that had put them ahead going into the break.
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Morgan Rogers gave Chelsea an early lead in the seventh minute, finishing off an assist from Joao Pedro, but Hull responded emphatically through a Mohamed Belloumi brace, with the Algerian forward scoring in the 28th and 34th minutes to turn the game on its head before half-time.
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Hull City remain unbeaten in four Premier League matches and sit third in the table, having already beaten Manchester United and Coventry this season, with their draw against Chelsea coming just days after many pundits had predicted an immediate return to the Championship for the newly promoted side.
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Chelsea’s defensive struggles under Xabi Alonso continued, with the club now having gone 20 consecutive Premier League matches without a clean sheet, a run stretching back to January, and having conceded two or more goals in every single match since Alonso’s appointment as manager.
September 12, (THEWILL) – Joao Pedro once again proved to be Chelsea’s saving grace, scoring a vital second-half equaliser to rescue a 2-2 draw against a resilient Hull City side at Stamford Bridge, though the result did little to ease growing concerns over Xabi Alonso’s defensive setup.
Chelsea made the ideal start, taking the lead in just the seventh minute through club-record signing Morgan Rogers, who shifted the ball past Matt Crooks before firing home with his left foot, beating goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis for what was Hull’s first Premier League goal conceded all season.
The opener also arrived slightly later than Chelsea’s recent form suggested, having scored in the first, second and fourth minutes of their previous three league fixtures respectively.
Hull, however, refused to be overawed by the occasion. Chelsea should have doubled their lead through Pedro Neto, whose effort flashed just wide, and another curling attempt that was well saved, but a lapse of concentration soon proved costly.
Left-back Jorrel Hato switched off at the crucial moment, allowing Mohamed Belloumi to volley home Ryan Giles’ cross in the 28th minute and level the score.
The visitors then took full control of the contest. Lewie Coyle forced a save with a low effort, and Semi Ajayi headed against the crossbar shortly afterward.
Striker Oli McBurnie reacted quickest to the resulting rebound, diverting the ball into the path of Belloumi, who completed his brace with a shot that found the net after deflecting off both Levi Colwill and Reece James.
Hull went into the break deservedly ahead, having scored twice in the space of six minutes to completely swing the momentum of the match.
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Alonso responded at half-time by introducing Pep Chavarria in place of the struggling Hato, but Chelsea continued to find Hull’s defence difficult to break down after the restart.
Tzolakis was only seriously tested by an excellent free-kick from Reece James, while at the other end, McBurnie saw a close-range effort brilliantly saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Emi Martinez after the Argentine had first parried a Regan Slater shot into his path.
Chelsea’s equaliser eventually arrived in the 66th minute, and once again, Joao Pedro was the man to deliver it. After an impressive low cross from Cole Palmer, the Brazilian smashed a left-footed finish into the near post to restore parity and spare his side’s blushes in front of their own supporters.
Chelsea pushed for a winner in the closing stages, with further efforts from Palmer and James threatening from the edge of the box, while Rogers also had a good chance saved by Tzolakis inside the area.
Hull, however, remained a genuine threat until the very end, with substitute Mohamed-Ali Cho arguably presented with the best chance of the match in the 87th minute, though his effort was comfortably saved.
The draw leaves Hull remarkably still third in the Premier League table and unbeaten in four matches, a run that already includes victories over Manchester United and Coventry, defying pre-season predictions from many pundits who had tipped the newly promoted side for an immediate return to the Championship.
Chelsea, meanwhile, stay fourth, but the result raises familiar questions about their defensive fragility under Alonso.
Chelsea have now gone 20 consecutive Premier League matches without keeping a clean sheet, a run stretching back to January, and have conceded two or more goals in every single game since Alonso took charge.
Despite being the division’s top scorers with 10 goals so far this season, they’ve also shipped nine at the other end, a total bettered by only two other Premier League sides.
With Chelsea’s midfield options already under scrutiny following Monaco’s deadline-day withdrawal from a proposed £47 million deal for Lamine Camara, and summer signing Emi Martinez yet to fully stabilise things between the posts, questions are mounting over whether Alonso’s attacking approach can continue to paper over the cracks at the other end of the pitch.
For Hull, the only blemish on an otherwise encouraging afternoon came in the form of an injury to in-form defender Nobel Mendy, who was forced off following a clash of heads with Joao Pedro shortly before Chelsea’s equaliser.
Aside from that setback, the newly promoted side will take real encouragement from not just matching Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but arguably being the better side for large parts of the contest against opponents with considerably greater resources.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
