Pedro Neto Scores Treble as The Blues Deliver Manager The Boss with Happy Homecoming to Hull

Amid freezing rain, flurries, and a swirling breeze off the banks of the Humber, alongside a resolute home side fighting for a top-flight place, this presented all the makings of a difficult night's work for Chelsea.

"We could have scored more but the opposition are a strong team and it was a difficult tie; I am delighted with the display," the manager stated. "Hull City is very special to me so it was great to get a positive welcome from the fans of supporters. The attitude of the players was superb."

The Rosenior holds this place dear to him, given some of his family hail from Hull and his enjoyable period in management of the Championship club. This positive association was extended with a commanding performance from his team, who ultimately sauntered into the fifth round of the famous old competition.

Deadly Finishing Seals Comprehensive Win

Three days removed from surrendering a 2-0 advantage in the Premier League, there was a hint of vulnerability about them going into this intriguing cup clash. The capacity Hull crowd clearly felt it too, but Rosenior's men handled the task with ease.

The manager rang the changes, enacting multiple of them to his starting lineup. The match could and perhaps ought to have been decided earlier than it eventually was, with both Estêvão Willian and the forward guilty of missing glorious chances to put their side ahead in the opening period.

However, fortunately for the away team, Pedro Neto was in a far more ruthless frame of mind. He broke the deadlock with a spectacular distance strike, which acted as the spark for Chelsea to assume command of proceedings. By full time, they had four, with the forward netting a trio of them for a superb hat-trick.

The Forward's Response and Impact

The home side showed great spirit all game, but the clearer opportunities always fell to the visitors. The winger ought to have broken the deadlock when he went past keeper Dillon Phillips before unbelievably shooting over. Delap then had a comparable nightmare incident in front of goal against his old team.

He blocked a Phillips's kick which bounced off the bar, and he began to celebrate thinking the ball had gone over the line. It had not, and by the time he understood, Hull's defenders had responded to clear the threat.

Delap had his head in his hands after that moment, but he was immensely instrumental from that point onward, providing three assists. The first was for the first goal as his pass set up his teammate to finish from outside the box. Six minutes after the restart, it was two as Neto's corner went directly in under the keeper's legs.

Contest Sealed and Attention Shifts

Soon after Neto’s second goal, the tie was put beyond doubt as a dazzling run from the forward teed up his teammate to slide into an unguarded goal. The hat-trick hero then completed his hat-trick as Delap again delivered the crucial ball for the striker to coolly convert past a stranded Phillips.

By that stage, the work Hull had put in in the opening half-hour had been forgotten. Their priority must now switch back to achieving a promotion to the top division under their manager, who left out several key players with that goal in mind.

"In my opinion we earned at least one goal but if we play like this we will be in a very good situation in the Championship," he said. "Never surrender, maybe in the next matches this can be a positive example of how we should play."

There was great effort to the final whistle, and they almost got a consolation when Lewis Koumas hit a post in stoppage time. But this was Chelsea’s night, and another encouraging step forward for their recently-appointed head coach at a place he is familiar with intimately.

Cup History Are Good

The result resulted in an ultimately straightforward night's performance, and the cup competition signs are positive from here for the winners. They have faced Hull on three previous times in this competition in the past ten years and on each occasion, they have progressed to make the final. There is remains to be work in that regard, but this was another huge positive for the Chelsea boss.