Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live text commentary of the Premier League match between Hull City and Chelsea at the KCOM Stadium.
Both sides head into today's fixture on the back of defeats, with Hull trying to bounce back from a 5-1 drubbing by Liverpool, while Chelsea are trying to recover from a 3-0 loss to Arsenal.
Mike Phelan, whose future with the Tigers remains uncertain, has not witnessed his team win in the league since August, while Antonio Conte and his Blues have had back-to-back defeats to deal with.
Discover how the game unfolds in our updates below.
2.00pmHello all! Before next week's international break we have a jam-packed weekend of Premier League action to bring you. There are five top-flight games in total in today's calendar, and everyone will have added incentive to win given that they have to wait a fortnight before representing their clubs again. Right here, we will be focusing on the meeting between Hull City and Chelsea at the KCOM Stadium. Both teams are in need desperate need of a victory.
2.06pmIt has been a few miserable weeks in the league for Hull as they have not tasted a win since August having lost three and drawn one since their 2-0 triumph over Swansea City. They started the season so brightly with back-to-back wins, but they have entered a lull. There is also growing uncertainty over the long-term future of interim manager Mike Phelan. The former Manchester United coach was given the job temporarily following Steve Bruce's resignation, but a permanent deal has not yet been agreed.
2.09pmAs for Chelsea, their credentials as Premier League title contenders has taken a hit given that they have suffered back-to-back defeats in the division. The losses came against high calibre opposition in Liverpool and Arsenal, but the team's performances have raised the most concern. Manager Antonio Conte is yet to really make his mark on this team, and big questions will be asked if they fail to pick up three points this afternoon.
2.09pmAnyway, before we delve any further, let's bring you the team news you're all waiting for. Beginning with the hosts...
2.12pmHULL XI: Marshall; Meyler, Davies, Livermore, Robertson; Snodgrass, Henriksen, Clucas, Mason; Diomande, Mbokani
Subs: Jakupovic, Maguire, Huddlestone, Hernandez, Maloney, Weir, Keane
Subs: Jakupovic, Maguire, Huddlestone, Hernandez, Maloney, Weir, Keane
2.13pmCHELSEA XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Alonso, Cahill, Luiz; Kante, Matic; Moses, Willian, Hazard; Costa
Subs: Begovic, Ivanovic, Chalobah, Fabregas, Oscar, Pedro, Batshuayi
Subs: Begovic, Ivanovic, Chalobah, Fabregas, Oscar, Pedro, Batshuayi
2.16pmMike Phelan makes three changes to the team that faced Liverpool as Dieumerci Mbokani, Markus Henriksen and David Meyler all come into the side. Ahmed Elmohamady is suspended for the game after picking up a yellow card last weekend, while Tom Huddlestone and Abel Hernandez drop to the bench.
2.20pmWell, there were questions over whether Gary Cahill or Branislav Ivanovic would be dropped today, and as you can see, it's Ivanovic who has been cut from the first XI and is replaced with Marcos Alonso. Antonio Conte has made another change in midfield as Cesc Fabregas drops to the bench and Victor Moses comes in. John Terry remains on the sidelines with an ankle injury.
2.21pmSo, what's the latest on the managerial situation with Phelan? As we know, he took temporary charge of the team following Steve Bruce's departure. Many have tipped the ex-United coach to sign a permanent deal, but the club are yet to offer him a contract. In his pre-match press conference, Phelan was asked about his future, and he revealed that pen has not been put to paper because the terms keep changing.
2.26pmHe told reporters: "At one point last week I thought I had a deal done. I mentioned that to you, that it was near enough done and over the line and now it has changed a little bit. So I have to consider the changes.
"My side of things are we're still talking and we'll continue to talk until we can resolve the situation. It's as simple as that. What needs to be resolved is the terms of the deal. It keeps changing.
"One minute I think I've got something and the club are happy with it and the next minute it changes. So it's just a case of thinking about all these new changes that are on the table and making a decision."
© Getty Images
2.28pmWith regards to matters on the pitch, Hull, who were promoted to the Premier League via the Championship playoffs in May, could not have had a better start to the campaign. They opened the season by beating defending champions Leicester City 2-1 on home turf - Adama Diomande and Robert Snodgrass were the scorers on the day. The Tigers followed up that result with a 2-0 triumph over Swansea at the Liberty Stadium, with Shaun Maloney and Abel Hernandez among the goals.
2.31pmThe winning run in the league came to a swift end, though, as they failed to claim a win in games against Manchester United, Burnley, Arsenal and Liverpool. The team would have felt hard done by against United as Marcus Rashford scored the only goal of the game in the 92nd minute. In their next league game, Snodgrass rescued a point deep into injury time against Burnley at Turf Moor.
2.34pmMore damaging results followed as Arsenal and Liverpool defeated the Tigers 4-1 and 5-1 respectively. They were particularly played off the park at Anfield as they struggled to get a foot in the match. Not only did they concede nine goals across two games, they also had players sent off in both games. Jake Livermore saw red against Arsenal and Ahmed Elmohamady was given his marching orders at Anfield.
2.36pmThe positives for Hull is that they remain alive in the EFL Cup given that they ousted Exeter and Stoke City. Diomande scored twice and Snodgrass contributed in a 3-1 win over Exeter, while Markus Henriksen scored a 91st-minute winner following Ryan Mason's equaliser in a third-round tie against the Potters.
2.38pmSTATS! Unfortunately for Hull fans it's a disappointing figure as the team have conceded 40 shots on target this season, which is more than any other Premier League team. On the plus side, Snodgrass has scored five goals in his last four appearances in all competitions, so he could be a threat this afternoon.
2.40pmLet's switch our attention to Chelsea, shall we? Everyone thought that Conte's arrival as manager would ensure that the Blues had a strong defensive unit. He is known for setting up teams very well at that end of the pitch, but in the last few games, it has been short of a shambles. In fairness, they are missing their captain John Terry from the centre of defence due to injury.
2.42pmThey have only kept one clean sheet in the Premier League so far, and that was a 3-0 win over promoted side Burnley in August. In all, the Blues have conceded nine goals in five games. In Terry's absence, Gary Cahill and David Luiz have been marshalling the centre of defence. There are always question marks over Luiz's defensive abilities. He is prone to going off course and doing something outlandish, but it's Cahill that has been receiving criticism.
2.44pmThe England international has been at fault numerous times this season - he cheaply lost possession in the build up to Swansea City's equaliser in a 2-2 draw and one of his clearances led to one of Liverpool's goals in the Reds' 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge. The defender almost gave away a penalty in Chelsea's EFL Cup tie against Leicester City, and his mistake allowed Alexis Sanchez to open the scoring in Arsenal's 3-0 triumph at the Emirates last weekend.
2.46pmDespite this, Conte has given public backing to Cahill. The Italian is quoted by the London Evening Standard as saying: "When we lose, we lose together. Not just because of one mistake. There was a single mistake, but we had 80 minutes to recover the situation. And, in 80 minutes, we didn't recover it.
"A single mistake can happen during a game. I hope we can improve also on this aspect, but I don't like to single out players for individual mistakes. We lose and we win together. We must understand this. If someone makes a mistake, together we must help him and solve the situation.
"Against Arsenal we had 80 minutes to solve the situation and repair the mistake. Cahill is a good player, a great defender and a great player. I trust him and he plays."
© Getty Images
2.49pmBranislav Ivanovic has also not escaped criticism this season having put in some questionable performances at right-back. The 32-year-old, who starts on the bench this afternoon, even admitted after the team's 3-0 drubbing by Arsenal that they "did not answer anything the manager asked of us". Does that suggest that the players are struggling to learn Conte's methods? If Chelsea want to remain title contenders, they need to shape up quickly!
2.50pmThe last two league defeats have been particularly damaging for Chelsea, not just the results, but the manner in which they happened. Being at home against Liverpool, the Blues were favourites to succeed, but they struggled to cope with the Reds' attacking force in the first half as they went 2-0 down. Their performance improved in the second half as Diego Costa pulled a goal back, but they never really looked like overturning the scoreline.
2.52pmAgainst Arsenal, the team's first-half performance was poor again after they conceded two goals within 14 minutes following strikes from Sanchez and Theo Walcott. Just before the half-time break, Mesut Ozil put the game beyond Chelsea with a goal of his own. After going three games without a win, the Blues have dropped to eighth in the table, eight points adrift of leaders Manchester City.
2.54pmAhead of this match, Conte told reporters: "We haven't got a magic wand to change the situation in two months, three months, four months. We don't forget the past. The past is there, it's very clear. We finished 10th place last season.
"When you finish 10th, it means you have problems. We must change the situation and we must work hard together and we are doing this."
2.55pmDID YOU KNOW? Chelsea have used 17 players this season, which is the fewest in the Premier League. Also, Costa has been booked in four of his six top-flight games this season.
2.56pmHEAD TO HEAD: As you may expect, Chelsea have dominated the meetings between these two having won 30 of their 44 matches. Hull have only managed to win four, all of which were on home soil, with the most recent being on October 25 in 1988. In the last eight Premier League games between the teams, Chelsea are unbeaten having won six and drawn two. They also conceded just four goals in that time.
2.57pmBoth sets of teams have made their way out onto the pitch. We're moments away from kickoff!
1 minKICKOFF! Hull get us underway at the KCOM Stadium! Both sides are in desperate need of a win, let's see if either come out on top! Anthony Taylor is the referee for this one.
2 minA decent start from Hull as they begin the game on the front foot. Luiz gives away a foul on the edge of the box by bringing down Mbokani.
3 minSAVE! What a stop from Courtois! Snodgrass takes the free kick and it deflects off the Chelsea wall, heading for the roof of the net, but the keeper shows quick reflexes to keep it out.
4 minI don't think Conte will be best pleased with Chelsea's start. It's all Hull at the moment. They are looking to charge into their opponents' half at the first opportunity, while the Blues sit back and welcome the pressure.
7 minAlmost an opening for Hull! A long ball is directed towards the forward, but he fails to control it. If he had taken it better, he would have been through on goal - Luiz was nowhere near him!
10 minClucas finds space down the right-hand side and charges into the final third preparing to deliver in a cross, but he ends up slicing the ball and it goes behind for a goal kick.
11 minChelsea get a chance to cause some trouble as Hazard earns a free kick after getting fouled in Hull's half. It's taken by Luiz but it's not one of his best as the ball hits the bottom of the wall.
14 minAnother free kick for Chelsea as Willian gets caught by Snodgrass while trying to latch onto a loose ball. The set piece is taken short and played out wide to Moses, who gets into the box but is crowded out by his opponents.
16 minCHANCE! Willian delivers a low cross-shot across the face of goal. Only a tap-in is required to put Chelsea ahead, but Costa fails to get a foot on it. The Blues are starting to find their rhythm.
19 minSnodgrass delivers a cross to Robertson on the left, but Hazard manages to get in front to knock the ball out for a throw-in.
20 minCHANCE! Close for Hull! Snodgrass delivers another decent cross into the box. The ball drops to the feet of Mason, who tries to poke it into the back of the net, but it gets deflected out for a corner.
21 minCHANCE! Great work from Costa as he gets on the end of a long ball and turns away from Hull's defenders before laying the ball off to Willian, who fails to connect.
25 minPENALTY DENIED! Chelsea want a penalty after Moses hits the floor after a tussle with Diomande, but the referee is having none of it.
29 minPoor from Robertson as he knocks the ball out for a corner unnecessarily following some pressure around the box, but the corner comes to nothing for Chelsea.
30 minChelsea are dominating the ball at the moment, with Hazard and Willian linking up well, but they have not yet troubled Hull's goal.
33 minRobertson draws a foul from Moses and the referee whistle for a free kick in a promising position. Snodgrass delivers a great ball into the area, but it's defended well as Costa clears the danger.
35 minBOOKING! The first yellow card of the game is issued and it's Moses who is penalised for two fouls in quick succession.
36 minChelsea get another free kick, but it's wasted as Willian blasts the ball into the wall. Marshall has not had much to do in this first half.
39 minChelsea try to find a way through as they play short passes around Hull's box. Eventually Moses sends in a high cross, which meets Alonso, but his header is poor.
40 minCosta is released by Moses down the left-hand side and the striker aims to find Hazard in the middle, but Davies gets in a well-timed tackle to stop Hazard from getting through on goal.
42 minBOOKINGS! Two cautions in two minutes as Matic gets punished for a block on Henriksen, and Livermore is booked for a handball.
45 minAnother free kick to Chelsea as Hazard is fouled by Livermore on the left-hand side of the final third. Willian crosses the ball into the box, but the keeper collects.
45+1 minCHANCE! Willian slips the ball into Hazard from a corner and the Belgian crosses into the box, where Costa misses a header from close range.
45+2 minHALF-TIME: HULL 0-0 CHELSEA
3.48pmIt's half-time at the KCOM Stadium and the deadlock is yet to be broken. Hull jumped out of the blocks in the first 10 minutes and forced an early save from Thibaut Courtois, but Chelsea began to find their stride as the clock ticked. The Blues' defence had some shaky moments, but looked more composed by the end of the first 45 minutes. At the other end of the pitch, Chelsea saw plenty of the ball but failed to trouble the goalkeeper. We'll return for the second half shortly!
46 minRESTART! Chelsea get the game back underway at the KCOM Stadium! Will there be a winner this afternoon? Let's find out...
46 minSAVE! Chelsea start the second half as they finished the first - on the attack. Costa gets to the edge of the area with the ball, but is brought down. The referee decides against giving a free kick, and the ball ends up at the feet of Alonso, who drills the ball low, but Marshall saves.
47 minAt the other end, Snodgrass forces his way into the box and eventually wins a corner, which is comfortably collected by Courtois.
49 minCHANCE! Hazard comes close to breaking the deadlock as he thumps a 20-yard shot towards goal, but Marshall gets hands on it.
51 minMeyler needs treatment after going to ground. It's not quite clear what the problem is, but he gets to his feet and looks as though he will be able to continue.
54 minKante bursts into life as he nicks the ball off Diomande in the middle of the park. The former Leicester man charges forward and plays the ball out wide right to Moses, whose cross gets knocked out for a corner.
56 minIt's all Chelsea now. Hull have decided to drop back and try to soak up the spell of pressure, relying on the counter-attack to cause trouble.
57 minKante intercepts Clucas's pass and lofts the ball for Costa, but Marshall manages to get there first after coming off his line.
58 minCHANCE! Costa is played in behind Hull's defence and manages to get around Marshall and hits a right-footed strike, but it's deflected off the post by Livermore. Kante responds as the ball drops into his path, but he wastes it by sending the ball high and wide.
61 minGOAL! HULL 0-1 CHELSEA (WILLIAN)
61 minThe goal has been coming! Chelsea go into the lead thanks to a fantastic goal from Willian. Costa plays the ball out wide left to Willian from the edge of the area. The Brazilian cuts inside before sending the ball into the top corner.
64 minHULL SUB: It's the first substitution of the game as Maloney comes on for Diomande.
67 minGOAL! HULL 0-2 CHELSEA (COSTA)
67 minChelsea find a second goal after waves of attacks. Matic goes for glory, but it's blocked by Hull. The ball falls into Costa's path, though, and he curls it into the top corner.
71 minHULL SUB: A second change from Phelan as Hernandez replaces Henriksen.
74 minWillian plays in Alonso, who gets away from Snodgrass, but it's a heavy touch from the Spaniard and Meyler manages to win a free kick off the defender.
77 minPENALTY DENIED! Chelsea want a penalty after Willian gets clipped by Davies in the box. Replays show that contact was made, but Davies got a touch on the ball first.
79 minBOOKING! Robertson goes into the referee's book for his angry reaction after giving away a free kick.
80 minFrom the resulting free kick, Willian's ball finds Costa via a deflection, but his shot at goal goes high over the crossbar.
81 minHULL, CHELSEA SUBS: Huddlestone replaces Clucas for Hull and Oscar replaces Hazard for Chelsea.
88 minHuddlestone unleashes a 25-yard strike, but he misses the target this time. It looks as though Hull will have to accept a third straight Premier League defeat.
89 minCHANCE! Chelsea almost get a third goal as Pedro breaks free, but gets stopped in his tracks.
90+4 minFULL-TIME: HULL 0-0 CHELSEA
4.54pmIt's all over at the KCOM Stadium as Chelsea get back to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Hull City. Willian and Diego Costa scored the goals this afternoon as Antonio Conte's side end a three-game winless run. The Tigers are now five league games without a win, and have lost their last three in a row. Thank you for joining us, and until next time, goodbye!
