Hull City v Chelsea: match preview

Posted Saturday, January 09, 2010 by Telegraph.co.uk

Read a full match preview of the Premier League game between Hull City and Chelsea at teh KC Stadium on Saturday Jan 09 2010, kick-off 12.45 GMT.

Hull manager Phil Brown

Tale of the game

Didier Drogba scored twice against Hull on the opening day of the season, the winner coming in the final minute. Drogba one of four players currently serving their countries at the African Cup of Nations, in Angola. The others are Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou.

Hull are stuttering. Last weekend they went out of the FA Cup when they lost 4-1 at Wigan, a result that followed six games in the Barclays Premier League without a win. In that sequence the Tigers have taken just three points from a possible 18, dropping into the relegation zone.

Hull City (Probable, 4-4-2): Myhill; Mendy, Gardner, Zayatte, Dawson; Garcia, Thomas, Boateng, Hunt; Fagan, Altidore.
Chelsea (Probable, 4-3-2-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Terry, Carvalho, A Cole; Lampard, Ballack, Zhirkov; J Cole, Malouda; Anelka.
Referee: Martin Atkinson. Matches: 16. R0 Y63.

Last season: Hull 0 Chelsea 3, Chelsea 0 Hull 0.

Stat of the game: Hull winger Stephen Hunt scored the first goal of the 2009-10 Premier League campaign, at Chelsea in August at Stamford Bridge.

Betting tip: A 1-1 draw is 7-1.