Hull City 0-4 Chelsea: Pedro Neto Hat-Trick Fires Blues into FA Cup Fifth Round

Chelsea eased into the FA Cup fifth round with a dominant 4-0 victory over Hull City, as Pedro Neto stole the show with a hat-trick on Liam Rosenior’s first return to his former club. What carried emotional significance before kick-off quickly turned into a one-sided contest, with Chelsea’s quality proving far too much for a Hull side who never seriously threatened an upset.

Rosenior made seven changes following the midweek draw with Leeds, rotating his squad with one eye on the league while still naming a strong side. Hull also shuffled their pack, making six changes of their own as Sergej Jakirović balanced cup ambition with a promotion push in the Championship. Early on, however, Chelsea looked sharp and purposeful, pressing high and forcing mistakes.

Chelsea should have been ahead inside the opening ten minutes. Alejandro Garnacho broke clear onto a Moisés Caicedo through ball, but Dillon Phillips reacted well to save, before John Egan blocked Neto’s follow-up. Neto then fired wide from inside the area, while Estevão somehow missed an open goal after rounding the goalkeeper. Liam Delap also had a golden chance after charging down a clearance, only to hesitate as the ball dropped off the crossbar, allowing Hull to recover.

Hull’s best moment of the match came from a Ryan Giles free-kick, which forced Robert Sánchez into a full-stretch save. It proved to be as close as the hosts would come. Just as it looked like the Tigers might reach half-time level, Chelsea struck. Neto picked up the ball on the edge of the box after a neat lay-off from Delap and lashed a superb finish into the bottom corner to give the visitors a deserved lead.

Any hope Hull had of regrouping after the break disappeared almost immediately. Phillips produced an excellent save to deny Andrey Santos’ header, but moments later allowed Neto’s corner to slip through his legs and over the line.

It was a goal that summed up Hull’s afternoon and Chelsea’s growing control.

Eight minutes later, the tie was effectively over. Another Chelsea corner caused problems, and this time Estevão drilled a low shot into the net to make it three. From there, the game lost any competitive edge, with Chelsea managing the tempo and picking their moments.

Neto completed his hat-trick with 19 minutes remaining, turning home from close range after once again being supplied by Delap. It was his tenth goal of the season in all competitions and a performance that underlined his growing importance in this side. Calm, direct and clinical, Neto was unplayable.

There was still time for a special moment as teenager Jesse Derry was handed his senior debut late on, while Hull went close to a consolation when Lewis Koumas struck the post. But it did little to alter the overall story of the afternoon.

For Rosenior, this was another assured step forward. Aside from the League Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal, Chelsea continue to look composed and confident under his guidance, combining rotation with control. For Hull, the focus will quickly return to the league, but this was a reminder of the gap that still exists.

Chelsea were ruthless when it mattered, dominant throughout, and never looked like letting sentiment interfere with progress. A comfortable win, a standout individual display, and a smooth path into the next round.