Chelsea advanced to the FA Cup fifth round with a 4-0 victory over Hull City at The MKM Stadium, as Pedro Neto struck a first senior hat-trick and Estevao added another goal, while head coach Liam Rosenior highlighted mentality and collective discipline as the key factors behind the dominant display.
The win continued a strong run under Rosenior, who has overseen eight victories from 11 matches in all competitions since replacing Enzo Maresca, a tally that equals the most wins by any club side in Europe’s top-five leagues during that period and underlines Chelsea’s growing consistency across domestic fronts.
Chelsea’s control showed in the underlying numbers, with an expected goals total of 1.68 from 13 shots compared with Hull City’s 0.9 from 10
attempts, and the visitors might have recorded an even larger margin, yet the 4-0 scoreline still extended their sequence of 18 straight FA Cup wins over lower-division opponents by an aggregate 58-11.
The result also preserved Chelsea’s perfect FA Cup record against Hull City, as underlined by Opta’s data.That flawless head-to-head record highlighted a long-running pattern of control in this fixture.9/9 - Chelsea have won all nine of their FA Cup ties against Hull Citya new record for the most ties played by a team against another with a 100% success rate in FA Cup history. Domination. pic.twitter.com/p2sTf2m146OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 13, 2026
Rosenior placed emphasis on Chelsea’s mindset from the opening whistle and praised Hull City’s level as well. "I was delighted with the players' application and attitude in the first half. It was a difficult game. All credit to Hull, they are flying high in the Championship," Rosenior said, stressing the challenge posed by the hosts.
The Chelsea head coach then expanded on the importance of focus and standards during the FA Cup tie. "I do hope they make the Premier League this year, but because of our attitude and application to the game, the quality is always there, that is what gave us the platform tonight. We've had some good 90 minutes. Obviously, you want every minute of every game you want to be perfect. "
Rosenior also reflected on the early stages of his tenure and the scope for improvement. "There are a lot of things we can improve, but in terms of our start together, I am delighted with it. Pedro Neto has been outstanding, he works so hard and he has so much quality. I am delighted to see him get the goals he got today. "
Chelsea FA Cup hat-trick hero Pedro Neto and rising star Estevao
Neto’s three goals marked the first Chelsea hat-trick in an FA Cup match since Tammy Abraham scored three against Luton Town in January 2021, and the Portugal international now has 14 goals for the club, with 10 of his last 11 strikes coming away from Stamford Bridge and three at neutral venues.
Neto’s second goal came in unusual fashion, as a corner went straight in beyond Hull goalkeeper Dillon Phillips six minutes after half-time to tighten Chelsea’s grip on the contest. "Normally, the ball has to go there. We started to celebrate. I thought Jorrel Hato touched it, but he said no, it is your goal," Neto said of that moment, confirming the final touch.
Estevao added Chelsea’s other goal and reached seven in all competitions for this season, the highest single-season total by a teenager for the club in the Premier League era, while across Europe’s top-five leagues only Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, with 15 goals, has scored more as an 18-year-old this season than Chelsea’s emerging forward.
Chelsea FA Cup progress and focus on Premier League race
Rosenior underlined that the team effort matched Neto’s finishing. "Everyone worked really, really hard for each other. The most pleasing aspect was the mentality. They were a credit to the club. It was a really strong performance in terms of the mental application you need to be successful. " That attitude pleased the head coach as much as the scoreline.
Neto also looked beyond personal milestones, pointing to Chelsea’s next challenges, which include a meeting with Burnley and the push for a Premier League top-four place. "Most of all, I am happy to go through to the next round. We have to keep winning, but firstly we have to keep improving," Neto added, as Chelsea turned attention from this FA Cup win to the matches ahead.
