Hull Stun Chelsea as Liverpool and Villa Stumble in Premier League

Hull City preserved their impressive start to the Premier League campaign by securing a 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, a result that propelled them to third place in the standings. The match served as another chapter in Chelsea’s ongoing defensive struggles, despite the attacking brilliance of Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro, and Cole Palmer.

Despite entering the contest as heavy favorites, the Blues were undone by their recurring inability to defend effectively. Hull, who had previously kept three consecutive clean sheets, finally found the net when Rogers drilled a shot into the near post in the seventh minute. Mohamed Belloumi then capitalized on defensive errors, first volkering home after Jorrel Hato was caught out by a cross to the back post, and later putting Hull ahead with a deflected strike following a corner that goalkeeper Emi Martinez failed to handle.

Morgan Pedro restored parity just after the hour mark with a precise finish from a Cole Palmer cross, but Chelsea could not find a late winner. The result extends Hull’s remarkable run, with only defending champions Arsenal and Manchester City standing above them in the table. Since Xabi Alonso took charge, Chelsea have scored 16 goals in five matches against top-flight opposition but have conceded 12.

In other action, Liverpool failed to break down a resilient Fulham side in a goalless draw at Anfield. Although Liverpool remain unbeaten under Andoni Iraola, the match was marred by boos from home fans directed at Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa, who is reportedly fighting for his job after losing his first three league games since joining from Real Madrid.

Liverpool’s high-priced attacking trio of Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz, and Alexander Isak, each valued at 100 million pounds ($135 million), were unable to dismantle Fulham’s defense. Fulham actually created the superior chances, with Gonzalo Garcia missing a clear opportunity in the first half, and Alisson Becker producing a crucial save to deny Josh King.

Aston Villa’s woes continued as they fell to a 2-1 defeat by Nottingham Forest at Villa Park, leaving them rooted in the relegation zone. Forest striker Liam Delap, who joined the club for a record 45 million pounds ($61m) from Chelsea, opened the scoring with a long-range effort. Alysson briefly equalized with Villa’s first league goal of the season, but Igor Jesus secured the win for Forest and first-time manager Oliver Glasner.

Crystal Palace’s difficult start to the season persisted with a 3-2 home loss to Ipswich Town. The visitors benefited from Axel Disasi’s first-half red card, and Zian Flemming scored his debut goal for Ipswich in stoppage time to claim all three points. Meanwhile, Brentford remained unbeaten after a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, where Kevin Schade netted a double. The Cherries remain winless under manager Marco Rose despite leading in every match this season.