Chelsea salvaged a point at home against promoted Hull City thanks to a second-half equalizer from in-form striker Joao Pedro.
The reigning Premier League Player of the Month curled a goal into the top corner in the 66th minute, but Chelsea couldn’t find the winner.
Morgan Rogers put Chelsea ahead in the seventh minute, but Hull led at halftime thanks to two goals from Mohamed Belloumi.
Chelsea’s opener came later than typical, since they had scored in the first, second, and fourth minutes of their previous three league games this season.
Rogers, the club’s £117 million transfer from Aston Villa, simply shifted the ball past Matt Crooks before sending a left-footed drive past goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis, the first Premier League goal surrendered by Hull this season.
The Blues then saw Pedro Neto flick an effort just wide before another curling shot was stopped, but a break in focus cost them the chance to keep their first Premier League clean sheet in 20 games.
Jorrel Hato, the left back, switched off, allowing Belloumi to volley in Ryan Giles’ cross in the 28th minute.
That shifted the tide back in Hull’s favor, as Lewie Coyle forced a stop with a low effort before Semi Ajayi hit the crossbar.
After the ball ricocheted off the woodwork, attacker Oli McBurnie reacted quickly to divert it into the path of Belloumi, who scored via deflections from Levi Colwill and Reece James.
At half-time, Xabi Alonso replaced Hato with Pep Chavarria, but Chelsea struggled to break down Hull’s defense, with Tzolakis called into action only by an outstanding James free kick shortly after the restart.
In response, McBurnie’s close-range effort was excellently stopped by Chelsea goalkeeper Emi Martinez after the Argentine parried Regan Slater’s shot from the edge of the area into his path.
However, in the 66th minute, Joao Pedro hammered a left-footed equalizer inside the near post following Cole Palmer’s superb low cross from the left.
Palmer and James had shots from the edge of the box that threatened to put Chelsea up, while Rogers had the greatest chance, which Tzolakis stopped.
It was practically all Chelsea late on, with Estevao Willian and Danny Welbeck coming on, although Hull replacement Mohamed-Ali Cho had arguably the best chance to win the game in the 87th minute, when his weakly hit drive was easily saved.
Hull and Chelsea remain third and fourth in the table, respectively, having played more than half of the Premier League’s sides.
