There was a time, as the snow fell down on East Yorkshire, when you wondered if Hull City might just get away with it.
When Liam Rosenior was Hull manager, he got fired because chairman Acun Ilicali was frustrated by their lack of goals, especially the the MKM Stadium., But even with the likes of Cole Palmer left at home and World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez held back until the second half, he has a higher quality of player to work with as Chelsea manager. It was bound to tell in the end.
The Tigers had played their part in the FA Cup fourth-round tie but Chelsea had two absolute gimmes inside the first quarter of the game – one created by either changed side – and messed both up.
But Hull's luck was bound to run out some time, and when Pedro Neto collected a Liam Delap pass and shot it precisely past Dillon Phillips in the 40th minute, it set Chelsea on their way to a comfortable
win which featured a first senior hat-trick of goals for Neto and one of assists for former Tigers loanee Delap, whose injury was so costly to Rosenior in 2023-24.
Add in arrests for some home supporters who got involved in discriminatory chanting and it turned into a chastening night for the Tigers.
Without Oli McBurnie, with Joe Gelhardt only on the bench and youngster Cathal McCarthy making only his second Tigers start, Hull lined up with a back three for the second game running, but this time a flat front three.
They had their chances in some open early exchanges before the visitors got a firm grip on proceedings and refused to let go.
DENIED: Hull City goalkeeper Dillon Phillips keeps out Chelsea's former Tiger Liam Delap (Image:: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)placeholder image
DENIED: Hull City goalkeeper Dillon Phillips keeps out Chelsea's former Tiger Liam Delap (Image:: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)
Neto wriggled into space and shot over in the fifth minute but Regan Slater responded with a blocked shot only a couple of minutes later as a corner came out to him.
McCarthy beat Andrey Santos to the ball and surged out of defence only to lose it, but Phillips came to the rescue with a save from Alejandro Garnacho.
Liam Millar made amends for a sloppy pass by winning the ball back but Lewis Koumas, deputising for McBurnie at centre-forward, had his shot blocked from the pull-back. Slater shot off target when a Ryan Giles cross came to him.
But as the sleet turned to snow, Chelsea began to take control.
GETTING TO GRIPS: John Egan gets close to Chelsea's Liam Delap ((Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)placeholder image
GETTING TO GRIPS: John Egan gets close to Chelsea's Liam Delap ((Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)
A great Mamadou Sarr pass sliced the Tigers open and Estevao took the ball around Phillips, only to balloon the 17th-minute chance.
Hull were to blame for Chelsea's next great opportunity, Phillips taking too long on the ball as his team passed around at the back. He thumped his clearance against Delap, and the richchet crashed against his crossbar.
Delap ought to have had a tap-in but his brain froze in the cold, dwelling long enough over the chance for Phillips to save.
Although Robert Sanchez had to save a Giles free-kick, the football was increasingly played in the direction of the Hull goal.
Santos steered a shot into a defender after 37th minute and just as you started to wonder if the breakthrough would come for them, it did, courtesy of Neto.
Chelsea's second appeared to come direct from a corner created by Phillips' tip-over of a Santos header. If Jorrel Hato got a touch on Neto's corner, as some initially thought, it was the faintest scratch. Phillips will be frustrated he missed it.
The third, on the hour, owed much to Delap's combination of muscle and skill as he sashayed down the inside-right channel, drawing players to him and pulling the ball back for Estevao to finish emphatically.
When Sanchez came off his line and completely misjudged a long ball, it would not fall for Koumas.
The Liverpool loannee would poke a shot against a post in stoppage time on the back of a love-in between Hulls most vocal supporters and both managers who, like Ilicali, responded to requests for a wave.
When substitute Kyle Joseph pulled the ball across and Gelhardt failed to provide the finish, it was clear Ilicali would have to settle for what put him off Rosenior – Hull City nil.
Hull City: Phillips; McNair, Egan, McCarthy (Dowell 80); Coyle (Drameh 76), Slater, Hadziahmetovic (Lundstram 63), Giles; Hirakawa (Joseph 76), Koumas, Millar (Gelhardt 63).
Unused substitutes: Pandur, Jacob, Famwo, Tinsdale.
Chelsea: Sanchez; James (Fernandez 61), Fofana (Adarabioyo 76), Sarr, Hato; Caicedo (Acheampong 61), Santos; Estevao (Derry 76), Neto, Garnacho; Delap (Mheuka 87).
Unused substitutes: Badiashile, Pedro, Gusto, Sharman-Lowe.
Referee: F Hallam (Surrey).