Pedro Neto's Hat-Trick Powers Chelsea to 4-0 FA Cup Win at Hull
Pedro Neto delivered a spectacular hat-trick performance as Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior marked his emotional return to former club Hull City with a commanding 4-0 victory in the FA Cup fourth round. The Premier League side dominated proceedings from start to finish, with Championship promotion-chasers Hull never threatening to cause an upset at the MKM Stadium.
Neto's Brilliance Seals Comfortable Progression
Portugal winger Neto opened the scoring with a superb 18-yard effort just before halftime, creating space on the edge of the area after being teed up by Liam Delap before lashing a clinical shot into the bottom corner. The Chelsea forward then doubled his tally early in the second half in bizarre fashion, as his resulting corner bounced directly through goalkeeper Dillon Phillips' legs and into the net.
Brazilian forward Estevao effectively put the tie to bed just before the hour-mark, drilling home a low shot following another corner to make it 3-0. Neto completed his memorable hat-trick with 19 minutes remaining, turning home his third goal from inside the area after another assist from Delap to celebrate his 10th goal of the season across all competitions.
Rosenior's Emotional Return to Hull
The victory marked an emotional return to the MKM Stadium for Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior, who previously served as both a player and manager at Hull City. Rosenior's reign as Chelsea manager began in January with a thumping 5-1 win at Charlton in the third round, and this comprehensive performance continued his impressive start.
Aside from Chelsea's League Cup semi-final defeats against Arsenal, Rosenior has now won eight and drawn one of his nine other matches in charge across all competitions. The Chelsea manager made seven changes to his starting lineup after his side missed the opportunity to climb into the Premier League's top four in midweek, having been held to a 2-2 draw at home by Leeds United.
Hull's Promotion Focus Limits Cup Ambitions
Hull City, currently sitting fourth in the Championship and just five points off the automatic promotion places, appeared to have one eye on their league campaign as manager Sergej Jakirovic made six changes of his own. The Tigers were indebted to goalkeeper Dillon Phillips in the early stages, with the shot-stopper making crucial saves to deny Alejandro Garnacho and prevent Neto from scoring earlier.
Hull's best chance of the match came through Ryan Giles' 20-yard free-kick, which forced Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez into a sprawling save. The home side went close to a late consolation when substitute Lewis Koumas saw his low shot strike the post in the closing stages.
Chelsea's Dominant Display
Chelsea created numerous opportunities throughout the match, with Estevao particularly wasteful in the first half when he rounded Phillips only to skew his effort over an open goal from close range. Former Hull loanee Liam Delap also spurned a golden opportunity after charging down Phillips' clearance, with the ball bouncing down off the crossbar before his hesitant follow-up was blocked.
Chelsea teenager Jesse Derry, son of former Crystal Palace and Leeds midfielder Shaun Derry, was handed his professional debut in the closing stages as the Londoners comfortably secured their place in the FA Cup last 16. The comprehensive victory extends Chelsea's impressive form under Rosenior and keeps their hopes of silverware alive in this historic competition.
