Surprise Package Hull City Aim to Trouble Chelsea

On Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 5:00 PM Bulgarian time (3:00 PM BST), Chelsea will host Hull City at Stamford Bridge for a Premier League Matchday 4 clash. Farai Hallam will be the head referee for the encounter.

Xabi Alonso's Chelsea currently sit 4th in the Premier League standings with 6 points from three matches played (2 wins, 0 draws, 1 loss), and a goal difference of 8:7. The Blues kicked off their campaign with a 3-2 away victory over Fulham and a 4-3 home win against Brighton, before suffering a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the previous round. In their most recent competitive fixture mid-week, the Londoners overcame Leeds 6-3 in the Carabao Cup.

Sergei Yakirovich's Hull City are enjoying a fantastic start since their return to the top flight. The Tigers are currently 3rd in the table with 7 points from three matches (2 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses) and have yet to concede a goal in the league (goal difference 3:0). They began their season with a sensational 2-0 home victory over Manchester United, followed by a 1-0 away win against Coventry and a goalless draw against Aston Villa. During the week, Hull suffered a 0-1 defeat to Sunderland in the Carabao Cup. However, the team is now hoping to cause problems for the London side as well.

Chelsea completely dominates the history of this rivalry. The two teams have faced each other a total of 49 times, with the Blues securing 35 wins, 10 draws, and only 4 defeats. In the Premier League, Chelsea has never lost to Hull City in 10 matches played (8 wins and 2 draws).

This dominance is further highlighted by their last six encounters, where the Londoners have secured six victories across all competitions.

Should Hull City manage to keep a clean sheet at Stamford Bridge, they would become the first newly promoted side in the history of English top-flight football to not concede a goal in their opening four matches of the season. Meanwhile, Chelsea maintains a perfect home winning streak across all competitions since the start of the campaign.

In the home camp, manager Xabi Alonso confirmed that Moises Caicedo is still not fit to play after his calf injury, and no unnecessary risks will be taken with him. Also unavailable for Saturday's match are Marco Palestra, Jordan Henderson, and Emmanuel Emegha. The good news for Chelsea is the return of midfielder Romeo Lavia, who has fully recovered.

For the visiting Hull City, problems are mounting due to a number of injured players. Out of action are goalkeeper Jack Butland (hand injury), defender Charlie Hughes (groin), as well as midfielders Hidemasa Morita (calf), Elliot Matazo (knee), and Darko Gyabi (groin). Striker Ilias Ansa also misses the match due to back problems.