Chelsea were left to accept a hard-fought point after twice surrendering the lead in a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, a result that leaves Xabi Alonso wrestling with an increasingly worrying trend at the back. Emiliano Martinez produced a crucial late save to preserve the draw, while Cole Palmer's stoppage-time free-kick, struck from 30 yards, was deliberately sent well over the crossbar to see out the game safely.
The atmosphere inside the stadium turned sour by full time, with boos aimed at a Chelsea performance that was disjointed for long stretches. Referee Farai Hallam also drew the ire of the home crowd after waving away several handball appeals, and at one stage bizarrely intervened in a Chelsea counterattack by handling the ball himself.
The underlying issue, however, was defensive frailty. Chelsea have now conceded at least twice in every Premier League match this season and have shipped 13 goals in six games across all competitions. That record stands in stark contrast to Arsenal, who have conceded just once in the same period, and raises serious questions about whether Chelsea's attacking talents - Palmer, Joao Pedro and Morgan Rogers among them - can keep outscoring opponents at this rate.
Hull's first goal encapsulated Chelsea's defensive issues. A long ball caught Wesley Fofana out of position, Malo Gusto lost a challenge out wide, and Jorrel Hato misjudged the flight of the resulting cross entirely, allowing Mohamed Belloumi in behind to slot a low finish past Martinez. The second goal was even more alarming - Belloumi was left completely unmarked at the edge of the box from a corner, and though his effort took a couple of deflections off the crossbar before finding the net, the space afforded to him was inexcusable from Chelsea's perspective.
Martinez also endured a difficult afternoon between the posts, appearing unconvincing at a corner that led to Hull's second goal and later fumbling a routine second-half shot that nearly gifted Oli McBurnie a tap-in for what would have been Hull's winner.
Alonso did not shy away from criticising his side's approach after the match. "We are attacking better than defending," he said. "It's just four games, but the dynamic in terms of conceding, I don't like it, and we need to do much better. Open play, set-pieces, long balls - this toughness, this competitive sense, we can do better."
The Spanish coach was particularly critical of the manner in which his side lost their advantage. "Especially in the first goal, we can do much better," he explained. "It was too soft to give them this hope because until then we were controlling, we were creating chances... It was from a long ball, two bounces. The way it happened, you need to be very, very aware, and very ready that the danger can come from any situation. If you are soft or if you are not prepared, you will get punished."
On the positive side, Chelsea's attack continued to show its quality. Rogers and Joao Pedro both scored well-taken goals either side of half-time, with Palmer instrumental in creating both chances despite not being at his sharpest. Palmer's persistence in finding pockets of space out wide eventually created the opening for Pedro's first-time finish into the roof of the net.
Despite the goals, Chelsea were fortunate not to concede a third, with Hull arguably the more threatening side for periods of the contest. Alonso acknowledged that his team remains among the division's most entertaining, but made clear he would prefer greater control. "I hope that one day you say it was a boring game and we won," he said, adding that fixing the recurring defensive patterns would take time.
With Moises Caicedo set to return and Marco Palestra yet to make his debut, Alonso will hope for improved options soon. For now, though, Chelsea's much-changed squad continues to search for defensive stability to match its attacking ambition.
Based on reporting from The Independent.