Chelsea had 67.8 per cent of the ball at Stamford Bridge, completed 479 passes to Hull City's 179, and won eleven corners to four. Hull had more shots.
Belloumi scored twice in six minutes
Morgan Rogers put Chelsea ahead on 7, left footed from the left of the box, finishing a fast break João Pedro started. It was the sort of opening that usually settles this fixture.
Mohamed Belloumi levelled on 28, left footed from the centre of the box after Ryan Giles crossed. He scored again on 34, left footed from outside the box, the ball worked to him from an Oliver McBurnie flick at a corner. Two goals in six minutes, both with his left foot, one from range.
Chelsea went in behind at home to a promoted side.
The equaliser, and then nothing
João Pedro made it 2-2 on 66, left footed into the top left corner from Cole Palmer's pass. Chelsea had twenty four minutes and seven added to find a third and did not.
They finished with twelve shots to Hull's thirteen. That is the number that says what this was: two thirds of the ball, a hundred and seventy more passes, and a promoted side got away more attempts at goal.
What Hull did instead of having the ball
Thirty two clearances to Chelsea's fourteen. Fifty six long balls. Seventeen tackles. Five yellow cards, McBurnie on 17, John Egan on 50, Matt Crooks on 52, Tim Iroegbunam on 88, Brooke Norton-Cuffy in the sixth minute of added time.
It was not pretty and it was not meant to be. Hull are now unbeaten in four: they beat Manchester United 2-0 on the opening weekend, won at Coventry, drew with Aston Villa, and have taken a point at Stamford Bridge. Eight points from twelve.
Chelsea have conceded in all four
Three against Fulham, three against Brighton, two at Arsenal, two here. Nine goals in four league matches for a club that spent more than anyone in Europe this summer, and the only clean sheet available to them today was against a side who had scored three goals all season before kickoff.
Malo Gusto went off injured on 78 and Hull lost Nobel Mendy on 59. Chelsea's next league game will tell whether the shape of this one was the fixture or the team.
