Chelsea went for the jugular in Friday’s FA Cup clash with Hull City, striking early en route to a 4-0 win at Stamford Bridge.Chelsea 4 Hull City 0Willian at the doublePedro chips inGiroud opens his accountCaballero saves Meyler penalty
Match Summary
Chelsea were absolutely ruthless in the first half, taking a very early lead though Willian that set the pace for the first 45 minutes. Pedro doubled their lead just before the half-hour mark and Willian struck again a few minutes later.
Olivier Giroud started upfront and assisted both of Willian’s goal before getting in on the action himself just before the break, finishing off at the near post after some neat footwork from another new signing, Ederson Palmieri.
Full Report
The Blues took the lead early on when Willian struck in just the third minute. Giroud’s pressure on the ball saw the Blues take a quick turnover in possession, and the Brazilian did ever so well to work the angle and bang his first shot of the game into the back of the net.
Giroud could have doubled their lead in the 13th minute after Pedro flicked the ball over the defence to giving the Frenchman a tough chance to steer it in on the volley, but he couldn’t keep his shot down. A couple of minutes later and Willian set Pedro away with a through-ball, but the defence were able to get the touch to put it behind.
After another couple of half-chances the Blues doubled their lead in the 27th minute through Pedro, who latched onto a great ball forward from Fabregas, taking it down and firing into the bottom corner.
Willian had his second and Chelsea’s third in the 32nd minute with another thumping shot past Marshall. The Brazilian’s initial move broke down, only for Giroud to use his bulk to revive the move laying the ball off for the Brazilian to rifle home off the post.
The Blues continued to press, and had their fourth after a bit of good fortune gave Palmieri that chance to dribble into the box from the left flank and square it towards Giroud at the near post, with the former Arsenal striker able to squeeze home his first goal for his new club.
Conte made a change at halftime, with 17-year-old forward Callum Hudson-Odoi replacing Pedro, but the second half would start as well for Hull as the first did for Chelsea.
Fabregas was the guilty party with a late lunge on Wilson in the box, with referee Marriner pointing straight to the spot. Meyler stepped up to the spot but Chelsea’s second-string goalkeeper Caballero, an expert saver of penalties, palmed his effort away and easily gathered Irvine’s headed effort on the rebound.
Willian could have had his hattrick when the Blues had a three-on-two counterattack, and the ball was played to Zappacosta charging down the right. The Italian passed it inside to the Brazilian with a neat little flick, but Willian was unable to get the shot away, eventually playing it back to Zappacosta, whose shot was poked just wide.
With the match all but over in the 88th minute, Willian came within a whisker of his hattrick with an effort looking to curl into the bottom corner, but it clanged the post on it's way wide.
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