2. Hull exploit Chelsea’s weakness
Although Chelsea sit at the top of the league with a six-point lead, Hull showed what PSG and a couple of other teams have always proved this season, they are not unbeatable. As ruthless and effective as Chelsea are, they still are nowhere near as effective defensively compared to Mourinho’s first stint in charge of the club. Gary Cahill’s form has dipped alarmingly since December and at times Branislav Ivanovic’s tendency to rampage forward is causing problems at the back.
In the first half, Hull exploited both of these faults expertly. Instead of pinging in aimless long balls towards the center backs, they tried to isolate Cahill and use his lack of pace against him. On the left flank, Andy Robertson, who has been a revelation this season tore Ivanovic apart. The Serb looked out of sorts in the first half and looked as though he was a calamity waiting to happen. Even the ever-impressive Thibaut Courtois was at fault for a goal. While that may be down to sheer bad luck, the performance of the other two isn’t and if Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool can exploit Chelsea’s lack of pace in defense, then there might yet be a title race on the cards.