Chelsea secured a convincing 4-0 victory over Hull City at the MKM Stadium on Friday, February 13, 2026, to advance to the FA Cup fifth round. The match was defined by a standout performance from Pedro Neto, who recorded a hat-trick, and an emotional homecoming for Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior, who returned to the club where he was once both a player and a manager.

Match Highlights and Performance

Despite freezing conditions and snow flurries, Chelsea maintained high intensity throughout the tie. Pedro Neto opened the scoring in the 40th minute with a clinical 20-yard finish. He doubled the lead in the 51st minute when his corner kick curled directly into the net, and he completed his treble in the 71st minute. Estevao Willian added Chelsea’s third goal in the 59th minute.

While Neto took the scoring honors, Liam Delap was equally vital, providing three assists and demonstrating "great determination" against his former club, despite earlier missing a significant chance when his blocked clearance hit the crossbar.

Managerial Returns and Team News

For Liam Rosenior, the victory was a successful return to Hull, a city he holds "close to his heart". He praised the "application" and "professionalism" of his squad, noting that the performance reflected the values he wants his team to stand for. Chelsea utilized the match to blood new talent, handing a full debut to Mamadou Sarr and a senior debut to young winger Jesse Derry. Key players like Cole Palmer were rested to manage their minutes.

Hull manager Sergej Jakirović acknowledged the gap in quality but remained proud of his team’s spirit, urging them to carry that same intensity back into their Championship promotion race.

Homophobic Chanting and Arrests

The match was marred by "unacceptable" discriminatory behavior from sections of the home support. Around the 25th minute, homophobic chanting was heard, prompting stadium announcements and the use of CCTV monitoring. In the 60th minute, it was confirmed that arrests had been made mid-game. Both managers and the LGBTQ+ group ‘Chelsea Pride’ condemned the use of the "rent boy" slur, which is classified as a hate crime under British law.

Historical Significance and Next Steps

Chelsea’s victory continues a remarkable trend; they have now progressed from all nine FA Cup ties against Hull City. Historically, whenever Chelsea has faced Hull in this competition over the last decade, they have gone on to reach the final.

The FA Cup fifth-round draw is scheduled for Monday, February 16, 2026, at 6:35 pm GMT. It will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK and streamed on the official TNT Sports YouTube channel. Chelsea will be ball number 7 in the draw (shared with Hull City in the pre-draw listings). Fifth-round fixtures are slated to be played across the weekend of March 6 to March 9, 2026.

AI tools were used in the translation.

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