3rd of October 2016

Blues back to winning ways away to Hull (0-2)

Willian’s second goal of the season and Diego Costa’s sixth meant a happy return to winning ways on Humberside and importantly, a new-look defence kept a clean sheet.

Antonio Conte reacted to the defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal by making changes, both in personnel and formation. In came Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses for their first league starts of the season, with Branislav Ivanovic and Cesc Fabregas moved to the bench, and out went the four-man defence.

Instead David Luiz played in the centre of a back three with Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahillflanking him. Alonso and Moses were the wing-backs.

Hull were off the back of big defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal too, so which team was able to steady their ship better was likely to be the key to this game, and it took until the second half for the Blues to properly click, but once we did we looked like the team from the opening month of the season. Both goals came midway through the second period.

The Tigers’ caretaker boss Mike Phelan retained the 4-1-4-1 shape he has been fielding and Thibaut Courtois was the first keeper called into action, making a sharp save from a firmly struck free-kick by Robert Snodgrass. David Luiz had pulled down Dieumerci Mbokani.

There was concern for our reshaped defence when Mbokani got between Azpilicueta and David Luiz to be first to a long ball but the Congolese let it escape his control.

Hull had the bulk of the ball in the opening quarter of an hour but then Willian and N’Golo Kante began to make their presence felt, with the Brazilian firing a shot across the face of goal.

At the other end, Hull, after a couple of bites at the cherry had a Ryan Mason shot deflected wide before Willian, having to stretch just too much, could not get enough purchase on his second attempt of the game. Cahill then bounced a shot from distance wide after the Blues’ best passage of play.

There were 25 minutes gone and the contest on Humberside was simmering gently, although Chelsea were improving. Alonso did well to win a corner with a cross when tightly policed and Hazard attacked the heart of the Hull team with menace but was halted by the last defender.

From then until just before the end of first-half added time, most of the play was Chelsea’s. Alonso headed wide before we attacked at pace through Moses, Diego Costa and Hazard but could not manufacture a shooting chance. We also tested the home defence with a free-kick and a corner but they held firm.

Just before the whistle a move broke down on halfway and suddenly there was space for Hull. Courtois dived and successfully pushed wide a long-range drive from Mason. It was our goalkeeper who had needed to make the two best saves yet.

Hull’s attacks had come down the middle. With Moses and Alonso dropping to make it a back-five when the Blues didn’t have the ball, the space left out wide that caused such problems at Arsenal was not there, but could we find enough going forward for three points today?

Alonso did work David Marshall between the Hull posts soon after the restart but in truth his shot was tame, unlike the one from Hazard not long after. This was Chelsea’s best effort yet, the Belgian wrong-footing the defence by putting on the brakes and then smashing goalwards, Marshall saved.

We continued to peg Hull back and our ball-winning ability in the home team’s half will have been pleasing Conte, but the killer ball was proving elusive.

On 57 minutes Kante looked to have found it, sending Diego Costa away down the right. The striker raced past the keeper and shot hard from out wide but a touch off Jake Livermore sent it onto the post. The ball fell for Kante. Surely this was 1-0. But not known for his ability in front of goal, the Frenchman fired over and could not believe his miss.

The reprieve came just four minutes later when Hull, again sloppy in the middle of the park as they had been frequently, were made to pay.

Willian was involved early in the attack and Diego Costa’s battling was crucial. Willian went outside at first but then stepped back into the middle and planted a peach of a curling shot beyond Marshall who did not move.

That opening goal was all that was needed for the Blues to shift into top gear.

The determined Diego Costa had a low shot saved before he scored a deserved second on 67 minutes. Matic made the initial run down the middle and had his attempt saved but when the ball came back to the Premier League’s top scorer, Diego smacked it into the same area of the net only just shaken by Willian.

Moses and Alonso were by now far more wingers than full-backs and every time anyone in a blue shirt ran at Hull they caused problems. Willian had a claim for a penalty when his trailing leg was caught by a challenge after he was back-heeled through by Diego Costa.

Oscar and Pedro were introduced late on, as was Nathaniel Chalobah for his Chelsea league debut. Among those going off, Moses’s contribution was especially appreciated by the travelling support who ended the game in fine voice and with a welcome result to cheer.

- Match stats:

Chelsea (3-4-3): Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses (Pedro 85), Kante, Matic, Alonso; Willian (Chalobah 89), Diego Costa, Hazard (Oscar 81).
Unused subs Begovic, Ivanovic, Fabregas, Batshuayi.
Scorers Willian 61, Diego Costa 67
Booked Moses 35, Matic 41.

Hull (4-1-4-1): Marshall; Meyler, Livermore, Davies (c), Robertson; Clucas (Huddlestone 81) Snodgrass, Henriksen (Hernandez 71), Mason, Diomande (Maloney 63), Mbokani.
Unused subs Jakupovic, Maguire, Weir, Keane.
Booked Livermore 42, Robertson 79

Referee Anthony Taylor
Crowd 21,257

- Match report by chelseafc.com

Blues back to winning ways away to Hull (0-2)

 

Willian’s second goal of the season and Diego Costa’s sixth meant a happy return to winning ways on Humberside and importantly, a new-look defence kept a clean sheet.

 

Antonio Conte reacted to the defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal by making changes, both in personnel and formation. In came Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses for their first league starts of the season, with Branislav Ivanovic and Cesc Fabregas moved to the bench, and out went the four-man defence.

 

Instead David Luiz played in the centre of a back three with Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahillflanking him. Alonso and Moses were the wing-backs. 

 

 

Hull were off the back of big defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal too, so which team was able to steady their ship better was likely to be the key to this game, and it took until the second half for the Blues to properly click, but once we did we looked like the team from the opening month of the season. Both goals came midway through the second period.

 

The Tigers’ caretaker boss Mike Phelan retained the 4-1-4-1 shape he has been fielding and Thibaut Courtois was the first keeper called into action, making a sharp save from a firmly struck free-kick by Robert Snodgrass. David Luiz had pulled down Dieumerci Mbokani.

 

There was concern for our reshaped defence when Mbokani got between Azpilicueta and David Luiz to be first to a long ball but the Congolese let it escape his control.

 

Hull had the bulk of the ball in the opening quarter of an hour but then Willian and N’Golo Kante began to make their presence felt, with the Brazilian firing a shot across the face of goal.

 

At the other end, Hull, after a couple of bites at the cherry had a Ryan Mason shot deflected wide before Willian, having to stretch just too much, could not get enough purchase on his second attempt of the game. Cahill then bounced a shot from distance wide after the Blues’ best passage of play.

 

There were 25 minutes gone and the contest on Humberside was simmering gently, although Chelsea were improving. Alonso did well to win a corner with a cross when tightly policed and Hazard attacked the heart of the Hull team with menace but was halted by the last defender.

 

From then until just before the end of first-half added time, most of the play was Chelsea’s. Alonso headed wide before we attacked at pace through Moses, Diego Costa and Hazard but could not manufacture a shooting chance. We also tested the home defence with a free-kick and a corner but they held firm.  

 

 

Just before the whistle a move broke down on halfway and suddenly there was space for Hull. Courtois dived and successfully pushed wide a long-range drive from Mason. It was our goalkeeper who had needed to make the two best saves yet.

 

Hull’s attacks had come down the middle. With Moses and Alonso dropping to make it a back-five when the Blues didn’t have the ball, the space left out wide that caused such problems at Arsenal was not there, but could we find enough going forward for three points today?

 

Alonso did work David Marshall between the Hull posts soon after the restart but in truth his shot was tame, unlike the one from Hazard not long after. This was Chelsea’s best effort yet, the Belgian wrong-footing the defence by putting on the brakes and then smashing goalwards, Marshall saved.

 

We continued to peg Hull back and our ball-winning ability in the home team’s half will have been pleasing Conte, but the killer ball was proving elusive.

 

On 57 minutes Kante looked to have found it, sending Diego Costa away down the right. The striker raced past the keeper and shot hard from out wide but a touch off Jake Livermore sent it onto the post. The ball fell for Kante. Surely this was 1-0. But not known for his ability in front of goal, the Frenchman fired over and could not believe his miss.

 

The reprieve came just four minutes later when Hull, again sloppy in the middle of the park as they had been frequently, were made to pay.

 

Willian was involved early in the attack and Diego Costa’s battling was crucial. Willian went outside at first but then stepped back into the middle and planted a peach of a curling shot beyond Marshall who did not move. 

 

 

That opening goal was all that was needed for the Blues to shift into top gear.

 

The determined Diego Costa had a low shot saved before he scored a deserved second on 67 minutes. Matic made the initial run down the middle and had his attempt saved but when the ball came back to the Premier League’s top scorer, Diego smacked it into the same area of the net only just shaken by Willian.  

 

Moses and Alonso were by now far more wingers than full-backs and every time anyone in a blue shirt ran at Hull they caused problems. Willian had a claim for a penalty when his trailing leg was caught by a challenge after he was back-heeled through by Diego Costa.

 

Oscar and Pedro were introduced late on, as was Nathaniel Chalobah for his Chelsea league debut. Among those going off, Moses’s contribution was especially appreciated by the travelling support who ended the game in fine voice and with a welcome result to cheer. 

 

 

-       Match stats:

 

Chelsea (3-4-3): Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses (Pedro 85), Kante, Matic, Alonso; Willian (Chalobah 89), Diego Costa, Hazard (Oscar 81).
Unused subs Begovic, Ivanovic, Fabregas, Batshuayi.
Scorers Willian 61, Diego Costa 67
Booked
 Moses 35, Matic 41.

 

Hull (4-1-4-1): Marshall; Meyler, Livermore, Davies (c), Robertson; Clucas (Huddlestone 81) Snodgrass, Henriksen (Hernandez 71), Mason, Diomande (Maloney 63), Mbokani.
Unused subs Jakupovic, Maguire, Weir, Keane.
Booked Livermore 42, Robertson 79

 

Referee Anthony Taylor
Crowd 21,257

 

-       Match report by chelseafc.com

 


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