Chelsea secured a 4-0 victory over Hull City in the FA Cup fourth round, advancing to the fifth round with a dominant performance. Pedro Neto scored a hat-trick, while Estevao added a goal after an earlier miss. The match marked an emotional return for Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior to his former club.
Chelsea progressed to the FA Cup fifth round with a convincing 4-0 win against Hull City at the MKM Stadium. The Premier League side, managed by Liam Rosenior, overcame a competitive start from the Championship hosts to run out clear winners.
Hull began brightly, creating an early opportunity when Liam Millar dispossessed Reece James and squared the ball to Lewis Koumas, whose shot went wide. Chelsea soon took control, generating several chances in the first half. Alejandro Garnacho forced a save from goalkeeper Matt Phillips, and Neto's rebound was blocked. Estevao rounded Phillips but lifted his effort over the open goal, while Liam Delap struck the crossbar after pressuring the keeper.
The breakthrough came in the 40th minute when Delap laid off to Neto, who curled a left-footed shot into the bottom corner for the opening goal. After halftime, Hull struggled to maintain attacks, allowing Chelsea to dominate possession. Garnacho assisted Neto's second goal just before the hour mark with a low finish from inside the area.
Estevao redeemed his earlier miss shortly after, guiding a cut-back from Malo Gusto into the far corner for Chelsea's third. As Hull tired, Neto completed his hat-trick late in the game with a firm strike from the edge of the box. Hull competed throughout but rarely threatened Robert Sanchez in goal.
Rosenior, who played and coached at Hull previously, described the club as 'very special' ahead of the match. He noted his family's ties and thanked Hull for his development, while emphasizing the need to treat the game seriously given Hull's strong form under Sergej Jakirović, who have them fourth in the Championship.
Historical stats highlight Chelsea's dominance: they have advanced from 62 of their last 64 FA Cup ties against non-Premier League sides, while Hull have won just one of their last 35 meetings with Chelsea across all competitions.