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Chelsea are set to travel to the KCOM Stadium to face Hull City in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday. The Blues established a comfortable win over Nottingham Forest in the third round fixture at Stamford Bridge earlier this month but their Premier League form has largely been inconsistent. The west London outfit suffered a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United before failing to establish a win against a ten-man Arsenal on Tuesday.
The FA Cup encounter will represent a chance for Frank Lampard's men to get back to winning ways and will allow the likes of Michy Batshuayi to assert his claim for a regular spot in the team especially as Tammy Abraham has been woeful in front of goal, with only four goals in 13 games.
Meanwhile, Hull City will be hoping to turn their fortunes around and pull off an upset against Chelsea after a dismal run in the Championship. The Tigers followed up their last-minute FA Cup win over Rotherham United at the start of the month with successive league defeats to Fulham and Derby County and will be looking to regain their confidence with a win against one of England's top clubs.
Hull City vs Chelsea Head-to-Head
Chelsea have an overwhelming advantage over Hull City heading into the encounter as Grant McCann’s men have failed to register a win in their last ten FA Cup encounters against this London opposition. Both clubs have endured a capricious run of form in their last six encounters in all competitions. While the Blues have won three, drawn two and lost one of their last six games; the Tigers have three wins and three losses to their name.
Hull City form guide: L-W-W-W-L-L
Chelsea form guide: W-D-W-W-L-D
Hull City vs Chelsea Team News
Hull City are enduring somewhat of a defensive crisis with the likes of Jordy de Wijs and Callum Elder sidelined due to injuries. The headache was made worse after Matthew Pennington picked up a groin injury during a training session on Thursday. McCann is also expected to be without midfield duo Kevin Stewart and Jon Toral, who remain out of action as they continue to recover from their respective foot and knee problems.
Injuries: Jon Toral, Kevin Stewart, Callum Elder, Matthew Pennington
Doubtful: Jordy de Wijs, Stephen Kingsley, Kamil Grosicki
Meanwhile, a team shuffle is once again expected from Lampard as he attempts to cope with a series of injuries and give key first-team players a rest. The former Derby County manager will hope to have Reece James fit for the trip to the KCOM Stadium after he missed the London derby with a knee problem. Abraham's fitness is also under question after he picked up a knock to his ankle against Arsenal.
Injuries: Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christian Pulisic, Marco van Ginkel
Doubtful: N’Golo Kante, Tammy Abraham, Reece James
Hull City vs Chelsea Predicted XI
Hull City Predicted XI: George Long; Eric Lichaj, Reece Burke, Ryan Tafazolli, Stephen Kingsley; Leonardo da Silva Lopes, Herbie Kane; Jarrod Bowen, Jackson Irvine, Martin Samuelsen; Tom Eaves
Chelsea Predicted XI: Willy Caballero; Tariq Lamptey, Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori, Marcos Alonso; Ross Barkley, Matteo Kovacic, Mason Mount; Willian, Michy Batshuayi, Pedro
Hull City vs Chelsea Prediction
Chelsea appear likely to see Hull City off in this encounter with overwhelming backing from history and the London giants' defensive record in the FA Cup. While McCann’s men have failed to score in the six of their seven meetings with this opposition, Lampard's side have kept seven clean sheets in their previous nine FA Cup matches.
The Blues will head into the encounter with enough confidence to be able to defeat a side that has somehow managed to be more woeful in front of goal than them. They will then turn their attention to preparations for their league game against a dominant Leicester City on February 1st.
Verdict: Hull City 0-2 Chelsea
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