Chelsea were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw with Hull City at Stamford Bridge despite goals from Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro.
Rogers gave Xabi Alonso’s side the lead after only seven minutes before Mohamed Belloumi struck twice in six first-half minutes to turn the contest around.
Joao Pedro eventually equalised from Cole Palmer’s delivery, but Chelsea could not find the winner against the newly-promoted visitors.
Chelsea struggled to create enough clear chances despite controlling large periods, while The Guardian’s match report highlighted another afternoon of defensive uncertainty for Alonso’s side.
Here are the ReadChelsea player ratings.
Emiliano Martinez – 5.5
A mixed afternoon for the Chelsea goalkeeper.
Martinez looked uncertain during the sequence which resulted in Hull’s second goal and Chelsea again failed to keep a clean sheet.
He did respond after the interval with important saves which prevented Hull from retaking the lead.
Those interventions stop his rating dropping any lower.
Wesley Fofana – 5.5
Chelsea’s defensive structure rarely looked comfortable when Hull were able to attack quickly.
Fofana had some solid individual moments, but he was part of a back line which again gave the opposition too many opportunities.
Alonso will demand more control from his defenders.
Levi Colwill – 6.5
Probably Chelsea’s strongest starting defender.
Colwill made an important intervention when Hull threatened again and generally dealt with his individual battles better than those around him.
It was an encouraging performance on his return to the starting XI, even if the collective defensive display remained poor.
Jorrel Hato – 3.5
An afternoon to forget.
Hato misjudged the ball in the build-up to Hull’s first goal, allowing the visitors to punish Chelsea at the back post.
Alonso responded by replacing the defender at half-time, with The Guardian detailing the change as Chelsea attempted to recover from their 2-1 deficit.
One difficult performance should not define the 20-year-old.
However, this was comfortably his toughest Chelsea appearance so far.
Pedro Neto – 5.5
Neto tested the Hull goalkeeper early but struggled to consistently create danger afterwards.
Chelsea enjoyed plenty of possession without converting it into enough high-quality opportunities.
Neto worked hard on the flank but rarely managed to isolate his defender in the areas where he is most dangerous.
Reece James – 6
James started centrally and came close with a dangerous free-kick.
Chelsea clearly missed Moises Caicedo’s presence in midfield, particularly when Hull broke through the centre of the pitch.
James continued trying to dictate the game, but Chelsea never established enough control.
Romeo Lavia – 5.5
A disappointing return to the starting XI.
There were some neat touches and intelligent passes, but Chelsea needed Lavia to provide greater stability once the game became stretched.
Hull repeatedly found space following turnovers.
Lavia is still rebuilding rhythm, but Alonso will expect more as his minutes increase.
Malo Gusto – 4.5
Gusto endured a difficult defensive afternoon.
He failed to deal convincingly with the long ball during the move which eventually produced Hull’s first goal.
There was greater ambition going forward, but the defensive mistake proved costly.
Chelsea simply gave Hull too much encouragement down that side.
Cole Palmer – 6.5
Not Palmer’s most influential Chelsea performance, but he still delivered an important contribution.
His second-half delivery found Joao Pedro for the equaliser and he remained Chelsea’s biggest creative threat whenever he found space between Hull’s defensive lines.
Even on a relatively quiet afternoon, Palmer helped produce a goal.
Morgan Rogers – 7.5
Another excellent attacking contribution.
Rogers drove forward before beating the Hull goalkeeper at his near post to put Chelsea ahead after just seven minutes.
He continued carrying the ball aggressively and nearly added another goal later in the contest.
There were moments where his defensive work could have been better, but Rogers remains one of Chelsea’s outstanding performers at the start of the season.
Joao Pedro – 8 — STAR MAN
Chelsea’s best player.
Joao Pedro released Rogers for the opening goal before scoring the equaliser himself after half-time.
That gave him a goal and an assist on another productive afternoon, with Opta’s post-match analysis underlining his influence in Chelsea’s attack.
Even when Chelsea struggled to break Hull down consistently, Joao Pedro provided quality in the moments that mattered.
His excellent start to the season continues.
Substitutes
Pep Chavarria – 6
Replaced Hato at half-time and helped Chelsea look more secure on the left side.
Nothing spectacular, but the defence appeared less vulnerable after the change.
Valentin Barco – 6
Added energy and aggression after coming on as Chelsea increased the pressure late in the match.
Danny Welbeck – 5.5
Introduced as Alonso searched for a winner but struggled to find enough space against Hull’s deep defensive line.
Chelsea ratings verdict
The contrast between Chelsea’s attacking quality and defensive vulnerability remains impossible to ignore.
Joao Pedro and Rogers delivered again, while Palmer provided another decisive contribution.
At the opposite end, individual mistakes gave Hull the opportunity to turn an early Chelsea lead into a 2-1 deficit.
Chelsea have now gone 20 consecutive league matches without keeping a clean sheet.
ReadChelsea had already examined Alonso’s concerns over Chelsea’s defensive problems following the defeat at Arsenal.
The draw with Hull provided further evidence that the issue remains unresolved.
Chelsea confirmed XI vs Hull as Colwill returns and Gusto starts
Chelsea confirmed XI vs Hull as Colwill returns and Gusto starts
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Chelsea predicted XI vs Hull: Colwill returns, Caicedo call