Chelsea cruised into the fifth round of the FA Cup as Pedro Neto struck a hat-trick in a commanding 4-0 victory over Hull City at the MKM Stadium.
The tie also marked an emotional return for Blues boss Liam Rosenior, who faced the club that dismissed him in 2024. A lifelong Hull supporter who played and later managed the Tigers, Rosenior endured a difficult exit after narrowly missing out on the Championship play-offs.
Despite rotating heavily — with Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Joao Pedro among those absent — Chelsea proved far too strong for their Championship opponents.
After spurning early chances, the breakthrough arrived in the 40th minute. Liam Delap laid the ball into Neto’s path and the Portuguese winger curled a precise finish into the corner from 20 yards.
Chelsea tightened their grip early in the second half. Neto’s inswinging corner in the 51st minute deceived goalkeeper Dillon Phillips and crept in at the near post to double the lead.
There was no repeat of the defensive lapse that saw Chelsea surrender a two-goal advantage against Leeds in midweek. Instead, Estevao Willian added a third in the 59th minute with a composed strike from inside the area.
Neto completed his treble in the 71st minute, calmly guiding home from Delap’s lay-off to seal a comprehensive fourth-round triumph.
Elsewhere, Wrexham defeated Ipswich 1-0 to reach the last 16 for the first time since 1996/97, continuing their remarkable cup run.
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