Hull City climbed to third in the Premier League table on Saturday after holding Chelsea to a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. While Chelsea’s attacking trio of Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro, and Cole Palmer displayed significant creativity, the side continued to struggle defensively under manager Xabi Alonso. In five top-flight matches under Alonso, the Blues have netted 16 goals but conceded 12.
The visitors, having kept three consecutive clean sheets, finally conceded in the seventh minute when Morgan Rogers struck at the near post. However, Hull responded effectively. Mohamed Belloumi leveled the score with a volley following a defensive error by Jorrel Hato, and the Algerian winger later gave Hull the lead after Emi Martinez failed to clear a corner. Joao Pedro eventually equalized for the hosts just after the hour mark, but Chelsea could not find a winning goal.
At Anfield, Liverpool were frustrated in a 0-0 stalemate against a struggling Fulham side. Despite deploying a forward line anchored by the high-profile trio of Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz, and Alexander Isak—each valued at 100 million pounds ($135m)—the team failed to break down the opposition. The result added pressure on Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa, who had lost his first three league matches since arriving from Real Madrid.
Fulham actually created the more dangerous chances, with Gonzalo Garcia missing a notable opportunity and Alisson Becker making a crucial save to deny Josh King. While Liverpool remain unbeaten under Andoni Iraola, they sit in sixth place and risk falling six points behind league leaders if Arsenal secure a victory against Sunderland.
Aston Villa’s difficult campaign continued with a 2-1 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest, leaving the Midlands club in the relegation zone. Liam Delap, whose 45 million pound ($61m) transfer fee from Chelsea initially raised questions, proved his value by opening the scoring with a long-range effort. Although Alysson scored Villa’s first league goal of the season to level the match, Igor Jesus restored the lead to secure a win for new Forest boss Oliver Glasner.
Elsewhere, Crystal Palace suffered a 3-2 home defeat to Ipswich, compounded by a first-half red card for Axel Disasi, with Zian Flemming netting a stoppage-time winner. Meanwhile, Brentford extended their unbeaten run after a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, where Kevin Schade scored a brace. Bournemouth, under manager Marco Rose, have yet to register a win despite taking the lead in all four of their league fixtures this season.
The weekend’s football action continues with Tottenham hosting Everton, while Sunday features the Manchester derby between United and City. The report also notes that villa beat their Midlands rivals in the Europa League semifinals last season on their way to lifting a first trophy in 30 years. The report also notes that many eyebrows were raised at the reported 45 million pounds ($61m) club record Forest paid Chelsea for Liam Delap after failing to make the grade at Stamford Bridge.
