- Date:2009-02-07
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Stamford Bridge
- Attendance:41802
- Referee:Mason, L
Live Commentary
90mins
The Hull fans cheer the final whistle but boos ring out from the home crowd.
90mins
Frank Lampard's free-kick is headed out by Michael Turner and Hull can breathe again.
90mins
We're into added time and the pace of the game has suddenly increased as both sides go for the winner.
90mins
Ian Ashbee is on his own in the area but volleys the ball into the side netting.
89mins
Craig Fagan is just about to take a shot but is edged out by John Terry and Hull have a late corner.
87mins
Didier Drogba gets the ball over the wall but his free-kick goes wide.
86mins
Salomon Kalou wins a free-kick just outside the D from Richard Garcia's high boot.
85mins
Luiz Felipe Scolari looks frustrated on the sidelines as his side shows no signs of making a breakthrough.
83mins
The crowd have gone quiet again as we enter the closing stages of the game.
81mins
Deiberson Geovanni is replaced by Ryan France.
80mins
Richard Garcia is booked for a foul on Henrique Hilario.
79mins
Salomon Kalou tricks his way through two defenders but his shot is straight at Matt Duke.
78mins
Deiberson Geovanni sends the free-kick high over the bar.
77mins
Kevin Kilbane is pulled back by Bosingwa and Hull have a dangerous free-kick.
77mins
Andy Dawson needs some treatment after being caught by Didier Drogba.
75mins
Michael Turner does well again to clear Salomon Kalou's cross and Chelsea are frustrated once more.
74mins
Nicolas Anelka almost gets the ball through to Didier Drogba but Hull are defending well and are able to clear.
73mins
Michael Ballack is replaced by Souza Deco in Chelsea's final change.
72mins
Hull are enjoying some good spells of possession now.
69mins
Chelsea feel they should have a penalty when Andy Dawson appeared to handle the ball in the area but the referee waves away their appeals.
68mins
Dean Marney puts the ball narrowly wide from a great ball from Deiberson Geovanni when he should have scored.
66mins
The Chelsea fans are complaining again as the referee judges Michael Ballack put the ball out for a goal-kick when it appeared to come off the head of Michael Turner.
64mins
Hull are looking comfortable and the Chelsea fans are voicing their discontent.
62mins
Didier Drogba is on for Ricardo Quaresma, which the Chelsea fans are not happy about.
60mins
Craig Fagan is not having much joy up front on his own for Hull.
58mins
Ashley Cole tries a chip after Nicolas Anelka's attempt is blocked but it's way over the bar.
57mins
John Obi Mikel is replaced by Juliano Belletti.
55mins
Phil Brown does not look happy after his team wasted that chance.
54mins
Craig Fagan bears down on goal but his chip is not good enough and ends up in the arms of Henrique Hilario.
53mins
The crowd gets more vocal as Chelsea win another corner.
52mins
Salomon Kalou has a shot from Ricardo Quaresma's corner but Hull manage to clear.
51mins
Hull have a free-kick and Deiberson Geovanni guides the ball towards goal but Henrique Hilario saves well.
50mins
Ian Ashbee seems to be struggling with an inury and could be making way soon.
49mins
Ricardo Quaresma is in the thick of the action again and whips in a cross with the inside of his right foot but Hull clear.
48mins
Ian Ashbee is booked for a late challenge on Michael Ballack.
47mins
There are no changes for either side.
46mins
The second half is underway.
45mins
Lee Mason blows the whistle and Hull can be proud of their work in the first half.
45mins
Hull have a corner after a free-kick is deflected over the bar by John Terry but Chelsea are able to clear.
44mins
Dean Marney scuffs his effort and it goes well wide.
43mins
Michael Ballack and Ian Ashbee both go down in the Chelsea area but referee Lee Mason give a free-kick against the German.
42mins
Ashley Cole's cross is sent behind for another corner by Michael Turner.
40mins
Kevin Kilbane's header is just wide with Henrique Hilario struggling to get across his goal.
38mins
Hull are working hard defensively and Chelsea are yet to really open them up.
36mins
Craig Fagan has an effort from a long way out but it flies over the bar.
34mins
Frank Lampard's free-kick hits Kamil Zayatte and the Hull man is down receiving treatment.
32mins
John Terry's header from the corner is put behind for another corner by Matt Duke.
31mins
Michael Turner does well to get in front of Salomon Kalou and put the ball out for a corner.
30mins
Michael Ballack gets the ball up and over the wall but it goes into the side-netting, and some of the crowd think he's scored.
29mins
Michael Ballack is fouled by Kamil Zayatte just as he was about to shoot and Chelsea have another free-kick.
28mins
Deiberson Geovanni takes the free-kick but can't keep it down and it ends up in the crowd.
27mins
John Obi Mikel is booked for a foul on Geovanni and Hull have a dangerous free-kick just on the edge of the area.
25mins
Frank Lampard has a shot which is deflected behind and Chelsea have another corner.
23mins
Chelsea have another corner after Salomon Kalou's header is deflected behind, but Alex can only head the ball over the bar.
20mins
Michael Turner's header is cleared by Michael Ballack and Chelsea counterattack, Ricardo Quaresma's curling shot turned round the post by Matt Duke.
19mins
Deiberson Geovanni has a shot 25 yards out which deflects off John Terry and Hull have a corner.
18mins
Salomon Kalou's cross into the area is a poor one after a great pass from Frank Lampard and Hull can clear.
16mins
Frank Lampard goes for goal but the free-kick goes wide.
15mins
Chelsea have a dangerous free-kick after Ian Ashbee fouls Michael Ballack.
13mins
Craig Fagan puts Henrique Hilario under pressure and the keeper has to put the ball out for a City throw-in.
11mins
Deiberson Geovanni has a speculative effort which just swerves wide of the right-hand post.
9mins
Andy Dawson does well against Ricardo Quaresma and Hull are able to clear the danger momentarily.
7mins
The offside flag goes up very late against Salomon Kalou but he was almost through on goal.
5mins
Matt Duke has a shot for Hull but it goes out for a throw-in to the delight of the Stamford Bridge crowd.
4mins
It's all Chelsea so far with new signing Ricardo Quaresma seeing a lot of the ball early on.
3mins
Chelsea have started very well as John Terry misses an easy chance from two yards out.
1mins
Chelsea get the game underway.
0mins
Bernard Mendy misses out through suspension for Hull but Nick Barmby has shaken off a calf injury to start on the bench.
0mins
Ricardo Quaresma makes his debut for Chelsea but injury rules out Petr Cech meaning that Henrique Hilario starts.
Match Preview
Chelsea, who have been written out of the title race by some observers following recent defeats at Old Trafford and Anfield, host a Hull City side that needs points to keep them away from the drop zone.
Luiz Felipe Scolari's side succumbed to two late Fernando Torres goals against Liverpool on Sunday, leaving the Blues five points behind leaders Manchester United, who also have a game in hand.
Scolari received some good news earlier in the week, however, with the loan signing of Ricardo Quaresma on transfer deadline day bolstering his ranks.
Frank Lampard's controversial red card at Liverpool has also been rescinded, while Jose Bosingwa has avoided disciplinary action for his kung-fu style attack on Yossi Benayoun in last Sunday's game.
Ricardo Carvalho will hope to return to action following a hamstring problem but Alex's impressive performance at Anfield may see the Brazilian keep his place.
Definitely ruled out are Michael Essien and Joe Cole who have anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
Hull manager Phil Brown is seemingly not worried by his team's recent slide down the Premier League table.
Despite missing out on the signing of AS Roma defender Christian Panucci, Brown remains defiant that his side will survive the drop, saying: "I'm very confident that we've got a squad capable of staying in the Premier League."
While Brown remains defiant, he will be keen to rectify a run of form which has seen his side go without a Premier League victory since early December.
Definitely missing for the Tigers is George Boateng, who could be out until April with a medial ligament injury.
Also missing is the suspended Bernard Mendy, who picked up his fifth booking of the season against West Brom, having scored the game's opening goal.
advertisement
advertisment
Match Report
A dogged rearguard performance from Hull City saw them come away from Stamford Bridge with a deserved point after a disappointing 0-0 draw for Chelsea.
The Blues dropped to fourth in the Premier League and all thoughts of a title-winning season are all but over.
John Terry should have put the home side ahead within two minutes but he somehow managed to scoop the ball over the crossbar from four yards after Frank Lampard's deep free-kick rebounded off Hull goalkeeper Matt Duke into the path of the hapless defender.
Hull's first attack on 19 minutes almost resulted in a goal but Michael Ballack cleared the ball off the line.
Seconds later, a quick-counter attack saw new man Ricardo Quaresma curl an inch-perfect right footer on target from just outside the Hull penalty area only to see Duke produce a fine fingertip save to steer the ball away for a corner.
Chelsea's early dominance of possession saw Alex narrowly go wide with a powerful header from another Lampard corner.
A Lampard left-footed pile-driving volley from 20 yards was goal-bound before Michael Turner deflected the ball wide.
Geovanni unsettled the Chelsea rearguard on 28 minutes when his 20-yard free-kick dipped over the Chelsea wall but did not find its way past Henrique Hilario.
Six minutes from the end of the first half, Hilario was caught napping following a powerful downward header by Kevin Kilbane but, luckily for the Portuguese goalkeeper, the wideman's effort just inched past the left upright.
Hull had a glorious chance on 57 minutes to take the lead when Fagan outpaced John Obi Mikel and scampered towards the Chelsea goal.
Hilario raced to the edge of his area and Fagan tried to chip the goalkeeper, but unfortunately for the visitors he could not get the ball over the keeper who snatched it out of the air.
Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari introduced Juliano Belletti and Didier Drogba in an effort to turn the tide in their favour.
Drogba replaced Quaresma on 63 minutes much to the boos of the Chelsea fans who voiced their displeasure at Scolari.
Dean Marney almost made Chelsea pay in the 67 minute when an inspired Geovanni breakaway move saw the ex-Spurs midfielder drift into space just inside the Chelsea area and slice the ball wide of Hilario and only just wide of the target.
Chelsea had a shout for a penalty turned down a minute later when Andy Dawson appeared to handle a Salomon Kalou shot, but referee Lee Mason ignored the claim.
However with 12 minutes remaining, Kalou cut through the Hull defence and left fly with a daisy-cutter of a shot but Duke did well to smother the goal-bound effort.
That was it for the Blues as Hull saw out the game with consummate ease.
Chelsea Team
Hull City Team
Chelsea | Hull City |
Corners
| 12 | 3 |
Fouls
| 11 | 17 |
Goal attempts
| 13 | 12 |
Shots off target
| 7 | 7 |
Offsides
| 5 | 2 |



90mins
The Hull fans are whistling as Chelsea lump the ball forward in the final seconds.