Hull City vs. Chelsea: Team News, Predicted LIne-Ups, Live Stream and TV Info
The heat is on Chelsea right now.
We're at that stage of the season where the pendulum will swing back and forth in the favour of those teams chasing the title, and Chelsea travel to Hull City knowing they need to reinstate their dominant position atop the Premier League.
Manchester City got a vital 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday that puts them three points behind Jose Mourinho's side. Chelsea do have two games in hand—of which this clash with Hull is one—but Manuel Pellegrini will suggest points on the board are better right now.
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The City boss would probably be right, unless Chelsea make the most of that two-game advantage.
And that starts at the KC Stadium.
Chelsea have been off colour for the past few weeks. They suffered from a Champions League hangover in the 1-1 draw with Southampton and they cannot afford to drop points against struggling Hull.
This game is the last before the international break, and Mourinho will want to send his players off on their travels with a six-point lead restored over City.
Chelsea can ill afford to give their rivals any encouragement right now, particularly as Arsenal's victory over Newcastle United has seen them continue their momentum in the league and gives them an outside chance of making a late push.
Make no mistake—facing Hull is a big game for Mourinho and his players.
Date: Sunday, March 22
Time: 4 p.m. GMT / noon ET
Venue: KC Stadium, Hull
TV Info: Sky Sports (UK only) / NBCSN (U.S. only)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK only) / NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S. only)
Last 5 Games
| February 10 | Hull City 2-0 Aston Villa |
| February 21 | Hull City 2-1 QPR |
| February 28 | Stoke City 1-0 Hull City |
| March 3 | Hull City 1-1 Sunderland |
| March 14 | Leicester City 1-1 Hull City |
| February 21 | Chelsea 1-1 Burnley |
| March 1 | Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur |
| March 4 | West Ham United 0-1 Chelsea |
| March 11 | Chelsea 2-2 Paris Saint-Germain (AET) |
| March 15 | Chelsea 1-1 Southampton |
Players to Watch
Nikica Jelavic
Chelsea have developed a worrying habit of conceding goals at the moment. And if there's one player in the Hull City line-up capable of breaching the Chelsea defence, it's Nikica Jelavic.
The Croatian has eight goals this season, two of which have come in his last four appearances.
At the KC Stadium he has proved his most dangerous this term, too, scoring five of his eight goals.
He may not be as prolific as some of the Premier League's leading strikers, but Jelavic always poses a major threat, and Chelsea will need to ensure he's kept quiet on Sunday.
Chelsea's diminutive Belgian proved the difference at the KC Stadium last season, scoring the goal that got his team up and running after the interval in their 2-0 win.
Until that point, Steve Bruce's side had looked resilient, and it took a bit of magic from Hazard to make the difference.
In that sense, things haven't changed for him; Hazard's still the player Chelsea look to when they need to make things happen, and more often than not, he delivers.
Hazard was also on the scoresheet when these sides last met in December—scoring a rare header—so Hull have even more reason to wary of his threat.
If they can stop Hazard, Hull may well stop Chelsea.
Key Battle: Michael Dawson vs. Diego Costa
Alongside the considerable threat of Eden Hazard, Hull will have to contend with Diego Costa.
Like his teammate in December, Costa also found himself on the scoresheet against Hull, scoring Chelsea's second to end the game as a contest.
The Spanish international hasn't been in the same scoring form of late, but he was back among the goals last weekend when he scored in the 1-1 draw with Southampton.
Michael Dawson knows he has a game on his hands coming up against Costa and he'll need to draw on all his experience if he's to prevent Hazard adding to his tally for the season.
The battle between this pair is going to as vital as it will be intriguing.
Whoever comes out on top will come away with the result they desire, which for Hull is anything but a defeat.
Prediction
Hull City 1-3 Chelsea
Odds
Home win: 8/1
Away win: 1/2
Draw: 7/2
First goalscorer: Nikica Jelavic (5/1)
*Odds via Oddschecker
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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