Hull City’s Unbeaten Start Continues in West London Clash

Hull City arrived in west London as plucky newcomers. They left as something far more serious.

They fell behind early, punished by Morgan Rogers, and for a moment it looked like the script would run as usual: heavyweight at home, promoted side put back in their place. Hull tore that up.

Mohamed Belloumi led the revolt.

First, he pounced on a costly mistake from Jorrel Hato, reading the error and striking with the kind of cold composure that belongs to seasoned Premier League forwards, not a player still feeling his way into the division. Then he went again, his second effort taking a deflection off Levi Colwill and wrong-footing the goalkeeper. From 1-0 down to 2-1 up. Chelsea rattled, Hull rampant.

On the touchline, Adnan Jakirovic lived every second of it. By the time the whistle went, he could barely hide the pride.

“I feel good. We have to be happy. It's a huge result for us,” he told BBC Sport. No false modesty, no attempt to play it down. Hull had gone toe-to-toe with one of the league’s powerhouses and refused to blink.

The pressure eventually told after the break. Cole Palmer, so often Chelsea’s creative spark, slipped in Joao Pedro, and the forward made no mistake with the finish to level the game. At that point, plenty of newly promoted sides would have folded, clung on, or simply hoped.

Hull did not.

Jakirovic’s team kept playing, kept breaking, kept believing there was more in it for them. “We took a point in a very demanding match. Eight points against very difficult opponents. We have to continue like this,” the manager said, his voice carrying the weight of a project that suddenly looks very real.

This is no fluke start. Hull’s return to the Premier League has been nothing short of electrifying.

They opened with a statement 2-0 win over Manchester United, a result that jolted the rest of the division to attention. Then came a gritty 1-0 victory over Coventry City, followed by a disciplined 0-0 draw with Aston Villa. Now, another precious point at Chelsea. Unbeaten. Unintimidated. Unapologetic.

The story at Stamford Bridge could easily have been even more dramatic. “We had 2-1 at half-time and we had a 100% chance with McBurnie but Martinez's save was excellent,” Jakirovic revealed. That moment felt huge – a chance to put clear daylight between the sides and tilt the afternoon into something historic.

The Chelsea goalkeeper, though, had other ideas. He denied McBurnie, then later produced another vital stop to frustrate Cho. “We had an excellent chance for Cho - Martinez saved again. Player of the match,” the Hull boss said, acknowledging the one man who consistently stood between his side and a famous win.

For all the excitement, Jakirovic is under no illusions about where his team must sharpen up. “We have to control play better in the box because we can stop this [Chelsea goal],” he admitted. That small detail – that refusal to gloss over flaws even after a landmark result – hints at why Hull have adapted so quickly to the top flight. This is not a group satisfied with plucky stories. They want points.

The afternoon did carry a darker note. Nobel Mendy’s injury cast a shadow over the celebrations. After a heavy collision, the defender was visibly distressed as he left the pitch, his discomfort obvious to everyone watching.

“He went to hospital for a scan. He's dizzy and disorientated. We'll see. It's a concussion 100%,” Jakirovic confirmed after the match. The concern in his words cut through the post-game buzz. For all the tactical plans and bold ambitions, the human cost of the contest was laid bare.

Even with that worry, the bigger picture for Hull is striking. Newly promoted, unbeaten, and collecting points against established Premier League sides, they no longer look like passengers in this division. They look like a problem.

Eight points on the board. Heavyweights unsettled. A manager demanding more.

If this is Hull City still finding their feet, what happens when they truly hit their stride?