Chelsea vs. Hull City: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info

Premier League leaders Chelsea will continue their title bid on Sunday as they host Hull City at Stamford Bridge.

Manager Antonio Conte's troops bounced back from the loss against Tottenham Hotspur that ended their lengthy win streak with victory over Leicester City in Week 21, putting together yet another fine performance.

The Blues are once again the favourites to win entering Week 22 against a Hull side that tasted victory for the first time in the league since November last time out, beating Bournemouth 3-1.

Date: Sunday, January 22

Time: 4:30 p.m. GMT

Venue: Stamford Bridge

TV Info: Sky Sports 1 (UK), NBC Sports (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go, NBC Live Extra

Team News

According to Tom Doyle of the London Evening Standard, question marks surrounding star Chelsea striker Diego Costa remain, and Eden Hazard's solid showing in the win over Leicester could see Conte opt to stick with the same formation.

Jim White of Sky Sports reported the Spain international has mended fences with the club, however, and he could start:

Hull City will be without Ahmed Elmohamady, who is on international duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations. Shaun Maloney is expected to return, while David Meyler has already confirmed he will travel with the team:

Possible Chelsea XI: Thibaut Courtois, Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Gary Cahill, Victor Moses, N'Golo Kante, Nemanja Matic, Marcos Alonso, Pedro, Eden Hazard, Diego Costa

Possible Hull XI: Eldin Jakupovic, Harry Maguire, Michael Dawson, Curtis Davies, Adama Diomande, Ryan Mason, Tom Huddlestone, Sam Clucas, Andrew Robertson, Robert Snodgrass, Abel Hernandez

Preview

Chelsea's loss against Spurs proved to be but a blip on the radar, as the Blues expertly negated Leicester's threats in Week 21 and bagged a relatively easy win without star man Costa.

Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

Conte's 3-4-3 formation has been a smash hit, confusing the majority of the teams the Blues face. The duo of N'Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic has been key, winning possession easily in midfield and allowing the wide men to shoulder fewer defensive responsibilities in favour of a more attacking role.

Cesc Fabregas has emerged as a viable alternative in midfield, however, and against Hull, the Spaniard could start.

The Tigers are expected to sit deep, invite pressure and hit their opponents on the counter and through set pieces. In those circumstances, Fabregas' creative brain could make the difference, although Matic proved last week he's a fine passer in his own right, per the club's official Twitter account:

For the Blues, defending set pieces will be key. Robert Snodgrass is one of the Premier League's best at delivering usable balls, and Abel Hernandez is an aerial threat.

If there's one weakness Chelsea have shown so far, it's defending corners and free-kicks, and against Hull, mistakes in that area could be a recipe for disaster.

Final prediction: Chelsea 3-1 Hull