Chelsea welcomed newly promoted Hull City to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, looking to bounce back from last weekend's defeat to reigning champions Arsenal, as the Blues took an early lead against a Tigers side that had yet to concede a goal in the Premier League this season.
Xabi Alonso's men arrived in confident mood following a dramatic midweek Carabao Cup victory over Leeds, in which they overturned a deficit by scoring six goals in the second half to book their place in the fourth round. That result marked a third straight home win across all competitions for the Blues, though Alonso's squad was without midfielder Moises Caicedo, still recovering from injury. There was better news in the form of Romeo Lavia, who returned to the matchday squad having been given a rest during the midweek cup tie.
Hull, for their part, had made an encouraging return to top-flight football, collecting seven points from their opening three fixtures. Manager and squad were eager to protect their defensive record, with a clean sheet against Chelsea seen as a significant step toward the club's primary goal this season: Premier League survival.
The match got underway with Chelsea lining up in a fluid formation that functioned as a back four, with Dro Fernandez and Aaron Anselmino — deployed as Hato and Gusto — operating as full-backs, while wing-back specialist Pedro Neto was pushed further forward into a more conventional wide attacking role.
Chelsea broke the deadlock early, and by the midway point of the first half held a 1-0 advantage. Hull goalkeeper Ivor Pandur (Tzolakis) was called into action on several occasions as the hosts pressed for a second. In the 22nd minute, the Hull stopper produced a smart save to parry a effort from Neto behind for a corner, though there were suggestions from those watching that he might have done better to hold onto the ball.
Just before the half-hour mark, Hato nearly doubled Chelsea's advantage, glancing a corner towards the near post, but Tzolakis recovered after initially failing to hold the ball, making a crucial second save to deny Joao Pedro a simple finish. Moments earlier, Cole Palmer, who had already found the net for Chelsea, tried to release Rogers through on goal, but the delivery was cut out by Hull's Mendy before Tzolakis rushed off his line to snuff out any danger.
There was a stoppage in play after Levi Colwill inadvertently clattered into Tzolakis following a corner, forcing the Hull goalkeeper to receive treatment before play resumed. The Chelsea defender avoided any disciplinary action for the collision.
Hull's best attacking opportunities were limited in the opening period, with the visitors struggling to build any sustained pressure going forward. The Tigers picked up their first booking of the afternoon when striker Oli McBurnie was cautioned for a reckless challenge from behind on Palmer in the 17th minute, leaving him walking a disciplinary tightrope for the remainder of the contest.
Having already conceded for the first time in the league this campaign, Hull faced the prospect of needing back-to-back shutouts to preserve the spirit of their unbeaten start, a target that appeared increasingly difficult as Chelsea continued to dominate proceedings inside Stamford Bridge.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.