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Hull City boss explains why his side deserved a win against Chelsea
13th September, 2026 08:09 AM
Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirović believes his side deserved to win as the Tigers grabbed a share of the spoils after battling to a 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
The result extended Hull’s unbeaten run to four Premier League matches, giving them eight points from their opening fixtures.
Chelsea took the lead, but Hull responded strongly and turned the match around through Mohamed Belloumi, who struck twice to put the visitors 2-1 ahead. The hosts eventually restored parity in the second half.
“It was another game that we could have won and one that we could have lost,” said Jakirović.
The Hull boss felt both sides had opportunities to take all three points, making the final outcome a reasonable reflection of the contest.
“We had a few moments, especially in the second half when 2-1 up, when we had the chance to score a third and we had an opportunity at 2-2 to go back in front but they also had a good chance that needed a good save, so in the end I think a draw is maybe a fair result.
“I was very pleased with our response to going behind and how many times have we shown such a good mentality in these situations? We were playing a very good team with some very good players in a very demanding stadium and I just wanted us to stay calm and stick to the tactical plan. If we played our own game we knew we would create some chances.
“For their equaliser, I just think we needed to control their player in our box better.”
Jakirović was particularly pleased with Belloumi’s contribution after the forward opened his Premier League scoring account with a brace.
“Mo has shown in the first three games what he can bring at this level and then today he has shown the end product to add to that, which is perfect,” added Jakirović.
“He needs to continue with this now because he is an excellent player and we just need him to stay healthy.”
The performance also strengthened Jakirović’s belief that Hull can compete against established Premier League opposition. Despite dropping two points after taking the lead, he was encouraged by the way his players handled the challenge at Stamford Bridge.
“We’ve shown again that we are a serious team (at this level) and that it is not going to be easy to beat us. We can create problems for teams and I still think that we can play even better with some better decision-making and being a bit more brave with the players having a bit more belief in themselves. Every game for us at the moment is a very big experience, but to have eight points from the first four games – it’s thank you very much because we are in a very good way.”
Meanwhile, Hull are waiting for further medical assessment on defender Nobel Mendy after he was forced off following a clash of heads.
Jakirović confirmed that Mendy sustained a concussion, with the club’s medical team expected to carry out additional tests before determining the defender’s next steps.
