Chelsea were held to a frustrating 2-2 draw by Hull City at Stamford Bridge, a result manager Xabi Alonso described as stemming from a 'soft' performance. The Blues sit sixth in the Premier League with seven points from four games, already five points behind leaders Arsenal, after failing to beat a newly-promoted side at home.
Morgan Rogers gave Chelsea an early lead in the seventh minute, finishing an assist from João Pedro. Hull responded strongly, with Mohamed Belloumi scoring twice before the break to turn the game around. João Pedro equalised for Chelsea in the 66th minute, but the hosts could not find a winner despite Hull missing several clear opportunities.
Alonso demands improvement
Xabi Alonso did not hide his disappointment after the final whistle. "We were soft in many moments," the Chelsea manager said. "It will take a few months to improve this team and get to the level we want." He made three substitutions in an attempt to change the game, bringing on Pep Chavarría at halftime and introducing Valentín Barco and Estêvão late on.
Hull's missed chances
The visitors created the better chances according to the data, posting a higher expected goals figure of 1.38 to Chelsea's 0.91. They had three big chances defined by Opta, with Oli McBurnie and Mohamed-Ali Cho both failing to convert clear openings. A defensive error from Jorrel Hato, who allowed a ball to bounce in the box, led directly to Hull's first goal.
Midfield absence felt
Chelsea's struggles were compounded by the absence of key midfielder Moisés Caicedo, who is currently sidelined along with Emmanuel Emegha, Jordan Henderson and Marco Palestra. Reece James played in a deep role but lacked his usual incisive passing, leaving the team short of creativity from the centre of the park. Top scorer João Pedro, with three goals this season, was again on the scoresheet but could not inspire a victory.
What comes next
The draw extends Chelsea's recent form to three wins, one draw and one loss from their last five matches across all competitions. Their next challenge is a trip to face Brentford, who are seventh in the table, on Friday, 18 September. Fans can check the full schedule on the club's fixtures page and view the latest standings.
This story first appeared at ESPN Soccer
