Chelsea vs Hull City kicks off on 12 Sept 2026 at 10:00 EST and 15:00 GMT.
Chelsea licking wounds after first defeat of the campaign
After two entertaining wins, Chelsea were brought back down to earth with a 2-1 defeat away to champions and London rivals Arsenal. The Blues opened with a 3-2 win over Fulham and followed that with a 4-3 success against Brighton at Stamford Bridge. They also took an early lead at the Emirates against Arsenal. Early goals have been a feature for the Blues under Xabi Alonso with Chelsea taking the lead in the first, fourth and second minutes of their matches respectively. A lack of clean sheets, however, will be a concern for their new Spanish boss.
Getty ImagesHull Tigers continue to be the surprise package of 2026
It's been a fairytale couple of months for Hull City's Tigers. After winning promotion to the Premier League by winning the playoff final last term, they've started strong with wins over Man United and Coventry, and a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa. If you'd said that Hull would have conceded zero goals after their first three games of the new EPL season, people wouldn't have believed you. This will surely be their sternest test of the season so far though, against an exciting, dynamic attacking unit featuring Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro.
Getty ImagesKey stats
- Hull haven't conceded a single goal this season in the league, but have lost all nine historical EPL meetings with Chelsea.
- Joao Pedro has two goals and two assists in the league this season for Chelsea.
Likely XIs
Chelsea (3421): Martinez; Acheampong, Lacroix, Fofana; Neto, Lavia, James, Hato; Palmer, Rogers; Joao Pedro.
Hull (541): Tzolakis; Coyle, Ajayi, Egan, Mendy, Giles; Belloumi, Slater, Gourna-Douath, Stroud; McBurnie.
Team news & squads
Chelsea vs Hull City Probable lineups
Manager
- X. Alonso
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso is without two midfielders for this fixture. Jordan Henderson remains sidelined, and summer arrival Marco Palestra is also unavailable through injury. No suspensions are currently listed, and no confirmed probable XI has been released ahead of kick-off. Updates will be added closer to the match.
Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic faces a longer injury list. Goalkeeper Jack Butland, midfielders Darko Gyabi, Eliot Matazo, and Oscar Zambrano, and defender Charlie Hughes are all ruled out. With five absentees, Jakirovic will need to lean on the depth of his available squad at Stamford Bridge.
Form
Chelsea have won four of their last five matches across all competitions, drawing just once. Their most recent outing was a 4-3 win over Brighton in the Premier League, continuing a run that included a 2-3 victory away at Fulham and a 2-0 Carabao Cup win against Luton Town. Across the five matches, Chelsea have scored 14 goals and conceded seven, reflecting an attack-minded approach under Alonso.
Hull City have won three of their last five matches, with one draw and one loss. Their most recent result was a 1-0 win over Coventry City in the Premier League. They also beat Manchester United 2-0 and edged past Stoke City on penalties in the Carabao Cup after a 1-1 draw. Their only defeat across the run came in a pre-season friendly against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head
The most recent meeting between these two clubs came in the FA Cup in February 2026, when Chelsea ran out 4-0 winners at Hull City's ground. Before that, Chelsea won 2-1 in an FA Cup tie at the same venue in January 2020. Across the last five meetings, Chelsea have won all five matches, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one.
Standings
In the Premier League table, Hull City sit third and Chelsea are fourth ahead of this fixture.