Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic hails Chelsea star as ‘player of the match’ after 2-2 draw
It is fair to say that Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic was impressed with one Chelsea player after his side’s 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.
Hull managed to hold Chelsea to a draw despite going 1-0 down in the seventh minute. They fought back and were even winning the game 2-1 at one stage.
However, an excellent equaliser from Joao Pedro ensured the points were shared on the afternoon.
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Chelsea’s attack of Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers is coming in for more praise, but Emiliano Martinez is the player who has been singled out by Jakirovic.
Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, the Hull boss said: “We had 2-1 at half-time and we had a 100% chance with [Oli] McBurnie but Martinez’s save was excellent. We have to control play better in the box because we can stop this [Chelsea goal]. We had an excellent chance for Cho — Martinez saved again. Player of the match.”
Chelsea are playing some exciting stuff right now, largely thanks to Pedro, Palmer and Rogers. However, Xabi Alonso will be disappointed to see his side concede even more goals after what happened midweek.
The Blues eliminated Leeds United from the Carabao Cup but not without conceding three goals in a 6-3 win.
Overall, Chelsea’s defensive record has been appalling this season. It is something that Alonso needs to fix, as conceding two goals and dropping points against sides like Hull at home could end up costing his team Champions League qualification.
Next up for Alonso and his men is a west London derby against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
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