Hull City Stuns Chelsea with Belloumi Double
Hull’s fearless return continues. Under the grey skies of west London, they went toe‑to‑toe with one of the Premier League’s heavyweights and walked away with another point – and a manager who could barely hide his pride.
Belloumi double stuns Chelsea
Hull City fell behind early, punished by a crisp Morgan Rogers finish that seemed to confirm pre-match expectations. Newly promoted side. Big away ground. Strong home favourite. The script looked familiar.
Hull ripped it up.
Mohamed Belloumi dragged them level, pouncing on a costly mistake from Jorrel Hato and striking with the sort of composure that has quickly become his trademark. Suddenly Chelsea looked rattled, Hull emboldened.
The turnaround came before the break. Belloumi again, this time via a hefty deflection off Levi Colwill that wrong-footed the goalkeeper and silenced the home crowd. From 1-0 down to 2-1 up, Hull’s belief surged. Their bench roared. Their manager stalked the technical area, urging more.
By half-time, the shock was real. The Tigers were not clinging on. They were leading.
Palmer and Pedro hit back
Chelsea inevitably responded. The pressure grew, the tempo rose, and Hull’s back line found themselves pinned deeper and deeper.
The resistance finally cracked when Cole Palmer slipped in Joao Pedro after the interval, the forward providing the composed finish the home side desperately needed. At 2-2, the momentum seemed to be turning blue again.
Yet Hull still carved out the chances to win it.
“We had 2-1 at half-time and we had a 100% chance with McBurnie but Martinez's save was excellent,” Jakirovic said afterwards, underlining just how close his side came to a famous victory. Another huge opportunity fell to Cho, again denied by Martinez. The Hull manager did not hesitate with his verdict on the Chelsea goalkeeper: “Player of the match.”
Jakirovic refused to let the late pressure mask areas for improvement. “We have to control play better in the box because we can stop this [Chelsea goal],” he admitted. The standards are rising with every week Hull stay in the top half.
A blistering start for the Tigers
This was no isolated result. Hull’s return to the Premier League has been nothing short of remarkable.
They opened with a statement 2-0 win over Manchester United, the sort of scoreline that jolts a league awake. That was followed by a gritty 1-0 victory against Coventry City, then a disciplined goalless draw with Aston Villa. Now a battling point at Chelsea.
Unbeaten. Eight points. Four games. All against awkward, often superior opponents on paper.
“I feel good. We have to be happy. It's a huge result for us,” Jakirovic told BBC Sport. “We took a point in a very demanding match. Eight points against very difficult opponents. We have to continue like this.”
The word “surprise” is already starting to feel inadequate. Hull are not just surviving; they are imposing themselves.
Mendy injury casts a shadow
Not everything about the afternoon felt uplifting. Nobel Mendy’s injury left a chill that cut through the noise of a thrilling contest.
The defender was forced off after a heavy collision, visibly struggling as he left the pitch. Concern was immediate and obvious from both benches.
“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. For a side built on collective effort and defensive organisation, losing such a presence would be a significant blow.
Character, belief – and a question
Jakirovic’s pride was not in the scoreline alone, but in the way his players stood up to the occasion, traded punches with an elite side, and still had the chances to win it.
Hull walked out of west London with another point, more respect, and a growing sense that this start is no fluke.
The Premier League has its early surprise package. The only question now is how long Hull City can keep unsettling the established order.
