Chelsea visit Hull City in the FA Cup fourth round with history on their side, while Liam Rosenior prepares for a charged return to the MKM Stadium and insists the tie must be treated with the same focus as any Premier League or Champions League fixture.
Chelsea have advanced in all eight previous FA Cup meetings with Hull, a record that stands alongside Leicester City and Birmingham City as their joint-best perfect progression rate against a single opponent in the competition’s history, underlining the scale of Hull’s challenge in this tie.
The west London side have also gone through in 62 of their last 64 FA Cup ties against opposition from outside the Premier League. Both setbacks in that sequence came against Yorkshire clubs, with Barnsley
eliminating Chelsea in 2007-08 and Bradford City doing the same in 2014-15.
Hull’s overall record against Chelsea gives similar warning signs, with just one win from the last 35 meetings in all competitions, alongside eight draws and 26 defeats. Yet Hull arrive in strong Championship form, and Chelsea expect a competitive occasion in front of a home crowd that knows Rosenior well.
Despite Chelsea’s superior record, Liam Rosenior stresses that the visitors cannot relax. "This is going to be a difficult game, and I want to do well in this competition," Rosenior added. "I don't see it any differently than a Premier League game or a Champions League game. We will go there with a team I think willbe good enough to win the game. I will want to take this game really seriously. We're going to have to because they're in good form and used to winning games at the moment. "
Rosenior’s determination to compete in the FA Cup comes as Chelsea manage selection issues. Marc Cucurella is ruled out of the match through injury, reducing defensive options for the visitors as they balance squad rotation with the need to respect a Championship opponent currently enjoying positive momentum.
| Fixture | Competition | Chelsea progress vs Hull City |
|---|---|---|
| 8 ties vs Hull City | FA Cup | 8 progressed, 0 eliminated |
| Last 64 ties vs non-Premier League clubs | FA Cup | 62 progressed, 2 eliminated |
| Overall meetings vs Hull City | All competitions | 1 Hull win in last 35 games |
Beyond the statistics, this fixture has a personal edge for Rosenior. Hull gave Rosenior a first permanent managerial post in November 2022, a spell that ran until May 2024 and ended soon after Hull narrowly missed the Championship play-offs following a sustained push for a top-six position.
Before moving into the dugout, Rosenior had already built strong ties with Hull as a player. Between 2010 and 2015, Rosenior made 161 appearances in all competitions, including the 2014 FA Cup campaign that ended with a final appearance, further underlining the significance of returning in this particular tournament.
"Hull City is very special for me, he said. My grandma was a season ticket holder. I've got my family going up as the club means a lot to me for many reasons. Hopefully, we can put on a really good show; it will be amazing to go back. Without Hull, without the experience of being there as a player and as a manager, I would not be sitting here. I've got a lot to thank the club for, and I had some amazing times there, both as a player and as a coach. It's really good to see them doing so well in the league. It's a great club, great people, great fans, a great city. It's going to be an emotional one for me to go back. "
A first match against Hull City in over six years. pic.twitter.com/KUrHLCo4OoChelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 12, 2026
Rosenior’s admiration for Hull City, combined with Chelsea’s dominant FA Cup record and the absence of Marc Cucurella, sets up a tie that mixes sentiment with high expectation, as both clubs aim to extend their campaigns in a competition that has already shaped important moments in their shared history.
