Hull City vs. Chelsea: Score, Grades, Reaction from Premier League Game

Substitute Loic Remy got the decisive goal as Chelsea’s unconvincing recent form continued in a narrow, barely warranted 3-2 victory over relegation-threatened Hull City on Sunday.

Jose Mourinho’s side enhanced their Premier League title chances with what was just their third win in their last seven matches, reopening a six-point advantage (with a game in hand) at the top of table that means they remain firmly in the driving seat.

The result did not come easily, however. Remy’s late winner came only after Hull had come back from an early two-goal deficit, with the home side briefly looking like they would go on to take the three points themselves.

It looked like an easy day for the Blues when Eden Hazard opened the scoring after just two minutes, and especially after Diego Costa doubled the advantage seven minutes later. But two goals in as many minutes got Steve Bruce’s side back into the contest just before the half-hour mark, as Ahmed Elmohamady and Abel Hernandez took advantage of an uncharacteristically suspect Chelsea defence to slot home.

Hull’s overall first-half performance certainly warranted them being on level terms, but in the second half, Chelsea began to gain the upper hand. In the end, one of Mourinho’s tactical changes finally decided the game.

In the 77th minute, Remy slotted home from 10 yards after good work from Willian and Cesc Fabregas, with Hull ultimately left simply to take some confidence from a game that leaves them still just three points above the relegation zone.

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"The victory is very, very important, obviously," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "The performance, in my opinion, was very, very good. We lost a little bit of quality after their two goals, but in the second half since minute one we recovered that good level of football … clearly we deserved the three points."

It took no time at all for Chelsea to take the lead, as their strongest performer almost all season long erased any nerves or lingering anxiety there might have been after some questionable recent performances. Hazard’s strike came in the second minute of the match and was a thing of beauty, the Belgian curling his effort from well outside the box perfectly into the far corner to give Allan McGregor no chance.

Hull had an almost immediate chance to equalize, but this time another Belgian, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, made his presence felt. Dame N’Doye’s robust flick-on played Hernandez clean through on goal, but the Uruguayan’s lack of confidence—he has not scored a league goal since October—was perhaps in evidence as he blasted his shot straight at Courtois.

Chelsea, as one would expect of champions-elect, duly punished that wasted chance. There appeared to be little danger when Cesc Fabregas played a swinging pass into the left channel for Diego Costa, although it was alarming how easily the visitors were able to move the ball upfield. The backpedalling Michael Dawson gave Costa too much space as he shuffled into the box, leaving Dawson to punch the turf in frustration as Chelsea’s No. 19 curled a pinpoint effort around him and inside McGregor’s far post.

Despite that quick-fire display of clinical finishing, Hull kept their heads up and continued to play a full part in the encounter. N’Doye and Hernandez were proving themselves to be a handful—the former forcing another decent save from Courtois, as their movement and aerial presence caused Gary Cahill (who would soon be booked) a number of issues.

As it turned out, the two wing-backs would combine to get the Tigers back into the game. Andrew Robertson was the architect of the goal, the left-back cutting between two Chelsea defenders before driving in a low ball across goal that his teammate on the opposite side, Elmohamady, raced in to meet at the far post.

Seconds later—fans had barely finished celebrating the opener—they were back on terms. It was a goal of Chelsea’s own making, thanks to a surprising mistake from Courtois. There appeared to be no real danger when Branislav Ivanovic tried to shepherd the ball back to his goalkeeper, but Courtois seemed to be caught in two minds with his first touch and overhit it horribly.

Hernandez, like any striker should, pounced on the mistake as Ivanovic hesitated, sliding the ball into the open net to lift the proverbial roof off the KC Stadium.

That shifted all the momentum in Hull’s favour, and as a result, it was no real surprise that they seemed to dominate much of the rest of the half. N’Doye and Hernandez continued to pepper attempts at goal as Gaston Ramirez also grew in influence, to such an extent that it was the away side that were likely relieved when the whistle blew for half-time.

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Mourinho no doubt had his say during the interval, and Chelsea returned for the second half in a different frame of mind. Having created just three shots on goal in the entire first half, they equaled that total within the first five minutes of the second. Cesc Fabregas curled one shot from 20 yards narrowly wide as Diego Costa saw two subsequent close-range efforts deflected off target.

To their credit, Hull refused to be intimidated, even as another Fabregas cross nearly allowed Costa to get his second goal of the game. On the hour-mark, the home side nearly went ahead themselves, only for Courtois to deny them with a brilliant triple save. 

He first stopped Elmohamady’s close-range strike, then parried away Jake Livermore’s driven follow-up. That rebound fell to Ramirez, but Courtois was once again equal to the strike as he finally got the ball out for a corner.

Soon enough, Mourinho turned to his bench to look for a spark in the game. First, Oscar replaced Ramires in midfield, then Remy came on for the flagging Costa. And the latter would make the desired impact, although McGregor will wonder if he could have done better with the chance.

Indeed, perhaps Hull’s defenders will wonder if they could have done more also. It all seemed to be too easy for the Blues, as Fabregas and Ivanovic combined before the Spaniard played Willian into the box. The Brazilian had time to look up and pick out his man in the centre, with Remy side-footing a shot that squirmed under the goalkeeper and into the net.

Having got the goal he wanted, Mourinho used his final sub for caution: Kurt Zouma replacing Willian. In response, Bruce threw any of his remaining caution to the wind, as Stephen Quinn, Robbie Brady and Sone Aluko were all put on in a desperate search for another equalizer.

It was a bold move (and one that, briefly at least, seemed to confuse the officials) but it did not have a tangible effect on the contest, as Chelsea saw out the game with customary efficiency. 

"It was a good moment for me," Remy told Sky Sports. "It is always frustrating when you are on the bench, but I think we [substitutes] can make the difference. As soon as the manager needs us we need to be ready, to try and win games.”

"Remy, every time he plays for us he gives everything he has," Mourinho concluded. "He scores the goal and that means two extra points. I’m pleased for him."

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Player Ratings

Player	Rating
Allan McGregor	6
Ahmed Elmohamady	8
Paul McShane	7
Michael Dawson	6
Alex Bruce	7
Andrew Robertson	8
David Meyler	6
Jake Livermore	7
Gaston Ramirez	7
Dame N'Doye	7
Abel Hernandez	7
Substitutions
Robbie Brady	6
Stephen Quinn	6
Sone Aluko	6

Player	Rating
Thibaut Courtois	7
Filipe Luis	6
John Terry	6
Gary Cahill	6
Branislav Ivanovic	5
Nemanja Matic	6
Cesc Fabregas	6
Willian	7
Eden Hazard	7
Ramires	6
Diego Costa	7
Substitutions
Oscar	7
Loic Remy	7
Kurt Zouma	6

What's Next?

Hull's next league engagement is against Swansea City, a game that takes place at the Liberty Stadium two weeks on Saturday. Chelsea are also next in action that day, as they host Stoke City in the evening kick-off.