Chelsea set unwanted 65-year defensive record following Hull City setback

According to talkSPORT, Hull City exposed Chelsea's vulnerable defense on a frustrating afternoon at Stamford Bridge, condemning the Blues to a grim historic milestone. Mohamed Belloumi’s 28th-minute equalizer extended Chelsea’s clean-sheet drought to 20 consecutive league matches - their longest run without a shutout in 65 years.

Saturday’s frustrating 2-2 draw with Hull at Stamford Bridge sealed another grim milestone for Chelsea, deepening the dismay of a fanbase desperate for defensive steel. To make matters worse, the Blues have now leaked at least two goals in each of their opening four league matches - a defensive breakdown not seen in a decade.

Determined to put last weekend’s defeat at Arsenal behind them, Xabi Alonso’s side launched into the match with ruthless intent. Chelsea immediately pressed high and pinned the visitors into their own half, taking the lead after just seven minutes when Morgan Rogers fired past Konstantinos Tzolakis. However, the Blues' early momentum quickly unravelled due to costly defensive lapses. Jorrel Hato misjudged a bouncing ball inside his own box, gifting Belloumi an equalizer, before the Algerian winger pounced again moments later with a deflected strike off Levi Colwill to put Hull ahead.

Facing another setback, Chelsea fought back after the break to avoid defeat. The Blues pushed for a response and ultimately salvaged a point when Joao Pedro smashed Cole Palmer's setup into the roof of the net to seal the 2-2 draw.

Chelsea, who have conceded three times in two of their three home games in all competitions this season, showed familiar vulnerabilities that left their manager deeply unsatisfied with the final outcome. Speaking to BBC Sport after the final whistle, the former Bayer Leverkusen boss stated: 'We're disappointed with the result. We wanted to win. We have to be disappointed with some parts of the performance especially when we had the lead. We were too soft for the equaliser. We can do much better. Playing well for 15 to 20 minutes is not enough. You have to be on your top for 90 minutes. There are times we're not able to keep that momentum and intensity. We could have done more for sure because we had chances.'

Beyond their defensive issues, the Blues also struggled to capitalize on their late control to steal a victory. Reflecting on the nature of the contest and the missed opportunities to take all three points, Alonso admitted his side were fortunate not to lose while also lamenting their inability to convert late pressure into a victory. 'We had one or two good chances to get the winner but you're still open,' the manager explained. 'Not happy. We can do better. We got what we deserved.'

Chelsea will now turn their attention to Friday's trip to face Brentford away from home, their final fixture before the international break, where Xabi Alonso’s side will be desperate to secure just their second clean sheet of the season - with their only shutout so far coming in last month's 2-0 Carabao Cup victory over Luton Town.