Chelsea Set Unwanted 65-Year Record After 2-2 Draw With Hull City
Chelsea have endured another defensive setback after being held to a 2-2 draw by newly promoted Hull City, setting an unwanted club record that had stood for 65 years.
The result at Stamford Bridge means Chelsea have now gone 20 consecutive Premier League matches without keeping a clean sheet, their longest such run since 1961.
The defensive problems have continued despite Chelsea’s major investment in the squad during the summer, leaving new manager Xabi Alonso with a significant issue to solve.
Chelsea made the perfect start when Morgan Rogers opened the scoring after just seven minutes, finishing from a João Pedro assist.
Hull, however, responded strongly.
Mohamed Belloumi scored twice in the space of six minutes to turn the match around before half-time. His first came after Jorrel Hato’s defensive error, while his second put Hull 2-1 ahead.
Chelsea eventually found a response through João Pedro, who fired home in the 66th minute after being set up by Cole Palmer.
The Blues pushed for a winner late in the game but Hull held firm to secure a valuable point.
The draw has intensified questions about Chelsea’s defensive organisation under Alonso.
Chelsea have now conceded two or more goals in each of their first four Premier League matches, something the club had not experienced for more than a decade.
The Blues have also conceded 10 goals across those opening four league games, highlighting the contrast between their attacking quality and defensive inconsistency.
Chelsea had already shown similar vulnerabilities in their previous league matches, while their midweek Carabao Cup victory over Leeds United also saw them concede three goals despite eventually winning 6-3.
For Hull City, the draw represents another impressive result following their return to the Premier League.
The Tigers remain unbeaten after four league matches, collecting eight points from a possible 12.
Their opening run includes victories over Manchester United and Coventry, as well as a draw against Aston Villa before Saturday’s result at Stamford Bridge.
Hull’s strong start has made them one of the early surprises of the Premier League campaign.
Manager Sergej Jakirovic will be particularly pleased with the way his players absorbed Chelsea’s late pressure to leave London with a point.
The result will increase the pressure on Alonso to find a solution at the back.
Chelsea continue to possess considerable attacking firepower, with Rogers, João Pedro and Palmer all making positive contributions in the opening weeks of the campaign.
But their inability to protect leads has become a recurring problem.
Against Hull, Chelsea led early, fell behind and eventually had to fight back for a point — another example of their defensive instability.
For a club with ambitions of challenging near the top of the Premier League, the record is an unwanted warning.
Chelsea will now need to tighten up quickly, or their attacking strength could continue to be undermined by problems at the other end of the pitch.
