Chelsea swept into the FA Cup fifth round yesterday with a ruthless 4-0 win over Hull City at the MKM Stadium, turning what began as a stubborn, awkward tie into a one-sided statement. In bitter conditions and with snow flurries swirling around a slick surface, Hull tried to make the evening uncomfortable—pressing early, feeding off a sold-out atmosphere, and banking on the kind of chaos that often gives Championship sides a foothold in cup ties.
For a while it worked, not because Hull were carving Chelsea open, but because Chelsea needed time to settle into the tempo and deal with the stop-start rhythm. Then Pedro Neto took over, scoring three times—one of them directly from a corner—to put the contest out of reach, while teenager Estevão added the third as Chelsea’s quality finally flooded the game.
The scoreline suggests a stroll, but the first half had enough warning signs to keep Chelsea’s focus sharp. Hull’s plan was clear: stay compact, defend their box, and wait for moments to pounce if Chelsea got sloppy. They even had a couple of situations where a cleaner final pass or a quicker shot might have tested the goalkeeper properly. Chelsea, meanwhile, created chances before they were truly fluent, and the match had a strange early moment that summed up the night’s fine margins—Liam Delap got into a prime position and didn’t finish when it looked easier to score, a miss that could have fed Hull belief if the game had remained tight for longer. Instead of sulking, Delap responded by becoming the main provider, repeatedly finding Neto in pockets of space as Hull’s defensive line started to stretch.
The breakthrough arrived on 40 minutes and it had the feel of a door finally being forced open. Delap teed up Neto just outside the area, and Neto shaped his body to bend a precise finish beyond the reach of the defence and into the net. It was the kind of clean strike that changes the emotional temperature of a cup tie instantly: Hull’s crowd had been ready to roar at every tackle and second ball, but suddenly they were staring at the reality that Chelsea didn’t need many invitations. Hull tried to regather themselves at half-time, yet within six minutes of the restart the tie was effectively gone—Neto swung in a corner and, with bodies clustered in front of goal and the ball skidding in the conditions, it went straight in untouched. A direct corner goal is rare at any level, and it landed like a hammer blow because it didn’t just make it 2-0; it screamed that the night had tilted completely.
At 2-0, Hull needed something dramatic. Instead, Chelsea’s control became more obvious: the pressing was sharper, Hull’s clearances came back quicker, and the gaps between the home side’s midfield and defence grew. The third goal on 59 minutes was a more traditional piece of attacking efficiency—Delap again supplying the final pass, and Estevão arriving to side-foot in with composure. That moment underlined one of Chelsea’s biggest positives from the tie: the mix of star power and youthful energy, with youngsters playing like they belonged and senior players keeping the performance professional rather than flashy. Neto completed his hat-trick on 71 minutes, once more fed by Delap, finishing with the confidence of a player who knew the game was his. By then, the only suspense left was whether Hull could at least find a consolation or whether Chelsea would add a fifth; Chelsea looked capable of either, but managed the final phase sensibly.
There were other talking points beyond the goals. Chelsea rotated without losing structure: Cole Palmer didn’t travel as his minutes were being managed, while Marc Cucurella was absent due to a hamstring problem, and that context made the performance feel even more convincing from a squad perspective. Reece James’ return was another boost, with the captain getting significant minutes as he continues to build rhythm, and there was also the satisfaction of seeing academy talent involved—Jesse Derry made his senior debut late on, a moment that mattered even in a match already decided. For Hull, the changes they made reflected priorities too: the Championship campaign remains the main mission, and once Chelsea’s second-half surge hit, the cup became a harsh lesson in what happens when you give elite opposition repeated looks at goal.
After the final whistle, Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior—back at a club where he has deep ties—kept his tone measured and respectful. He praised the players’ attitude, intensity, and work rate, stressing that the “professional” approach was what laid the foundation for the quality to show through. He also made a point of crediting Hull’s league form and the challenge of coming to the MKM in difficult conditions, but he was clearly pleased that Chelsea handled the potential banana skin properly once they found their stride. On the Hull side, Sergej Jakirovic’s reaction was a mix of pride and realism: he acknowledged the gulf that elite finishing and top-level punishment can create, and his broader message leaned toward regrouping quickly and keeping the club’s focus on the league—because when you make mistakes against this level of opponent, they don’t let you off.
One uncomfortable moment also cut through the night: announcements and action in the stadium addressed discriminatory chanting, with reports of arrests during the match. It was a reminder that, even on a night dominated by a brilliant hat-trick and a clean professional away performance, football still has issues that need firm and immediate responses. On the pitch, though, the story was simple—Chelsea were patient, then ruthless; Hull competed, then cracked; and Pedro Neto left with the match ball after turning a chilly cup trip into a showcase.
