Hull, England – It was the draw his late grandmother would have wanted, but Liam Rosenior showed his former club Hull City no mercy on Friday.
As chelsea Rosenière shook hands as he celebrated his third goal on the hour mark Enzo FernandezA World Cup winner signed for £106 million and sent onto the field.
Hull City’s hopes were long gone at the freezing MKM Stadium, where around 20 of Rosenior’s family and friends tried to get tickets for this FA Cup fourth round match so that the 41-year-old could return to the place where he spent seven seasons, five as a player and two in the dugout.
Rosenior’s grandmother, who was once a Hull season-ticket holder, has sadly passed away, but on Monday Chelsea’s new manager sadly claimed he was “drawn to” connecting his current side with their past.
The home fans may not have enjoyed seeing their team dismantled so comprehensively – Chelsea eventually won 4–0 – but when the pain subsides, they can reflect with some pride on the situation in which the Rosenior now find themselves.
Rosenior’s first permanent managerial appointment came at Hull in 2022 and locals remember the innovation he brought to football.
This trend continued until he had enough confidence in the Chelsea team – who, let us not forget, took a 2–0 lead against him. leeds united Just three days ago – to make eight changes to the team currently in fourth place in the Championship.
Rosenior has now won eight of his 11 matches – a run that perhaps makes it easy to forget that he is still in the process of convincing some of the Chelsea faithful that he deserves the role.
Coming from sister club Chelsea strasburgRosenior’s critics consider him a puppet for the Bluco ownership group, but he is determined not to let his bravery diminish.
It might have been strange to lose here, but they were never really in danger of having an uncomfortable night – apart from the rain briefly turning to sleet and Chelsea’s inability to take early chances.
alejandro garnacho Dillian could not beat Phillips as he was sent clean through on nine minutes. estevao Phillips then scored but blasted his shot at an open goal. Rivalry to Brazil was the biggest culprit Liam DelapWho closed in on Phillips by letting the rebound hit the crossbar and bounce close to the line. What happened next was a mixture of half celebration, half failure to react and, instead of turning the loose ball home, his second effort was saved.
pedro neto They took the hardest chance created, burying a low 20-yard drive five minutes before the break. Neto’s 51st-minute corner beat a melee of players at the near post and Phillips landed in the net before Delap showed excellent strength to turn the ball in for an easy finish before pulling the ball back for Estevao.
Neto completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute after more good work from Delap. louis coumas Hit the post for Hull in stoppage-time but by that time, Rosenior was also able to introduce teenager Jesse Derry on his debut.
“I’m realizing really quickly that they’re not just good players, they’re excellent professionals,” Rosenior said. “I thought it was a professional performance tonight against a very good team Premier League. This is not an easy game. Our football was everything I wanted to see but before that the team values made me a very happy coach.
“I will always have a special, special feeling for this club, no matter how I was welcomed today, but the fans here are on top. I have had a lot of good moments and I appreciate and thank them for the welcome they gave me.”
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Hull City vs Chelsea – Game Highlights
Watch highlights of the Hull City vs Chelsea game, 02/13/2026
Rosenior’s flexibility has been a notable early feature of his tenure and it was a hugely valuable night for Neto in particular.
The Chelsea winger’s life is always uncertain. The club seems to be signing new wide players in almost every window and Estevao’s exciting emergence continues giovanni quenda coming from Sporting CP This summer, Neto’s future at right back next season looks somewhat uncertain.
His versatility is therefore a highly useful asset and 25-year-old Neto has started seven of the Rosenire’s 11 matches in a number of positions. In fact, Rosenior said that Neto played three different roles in one match armory Last month.
in solution, together cole palmer Absent from the team on the match day, Neto operated in the number 10 position and his opening goal resulted from occupying that attacking position. He finished with the first hat-trick of his senior career, which was a response to some of the online abuse he received, which Rosenior was later asked about.
“No, I’m not aware of it and I don’t know why that would be because Pedro Neto brings a lot of tough qualities to us,” Rosenior said. “For me, he’s a world-class player. He’s a world-class winger and what I like about him is, as talented and gifted as he is, the sacrifices he makes for the team at times are over the top. He’s going to be really important for what we can achieve for the rest of the season.”
And with that, Rosenior went for a “beer,” he said, with his opposite number Sergej Zakirovic before heading up to see Hull’s owner, Ekun Ilikali.
In the last few minutes, the home fans asked Rosenior to wave to them. He duly obliged. It was the only thing he gave them all night as Chelsea went ahead.
