Two teams seeking a spell of consistency meet at the KCOM stadium on Saturday afternoon, as Hull City and Chelsea look to recover from disappointing defeats last weekend.

Both teams on a poor run of form

Hull were torn apart at Anfield on Saturday, as an exciting Liverpool attack blew away Mike Phelan's team who had to play with ten men for the best part of an hour following Ahmed Elmohamady's red card. Jurgen Klopp's men found the target on no less than five occasions, whilst Chelsea's opponents Arsenal were not far behind as they registered three in the London derby.

Those latest results followed an impressive start to the season for both clubs that has since tailed off. Hull had been written off by many fans and pundits following a challenging pre-season but won their opening two games, whilst Antonio Conte marked his Premier League bow with three consecutive victories for Chelsea. Yet since those early successes, Hull have picked up just one point in four matches, a similar haul to what Chelsea have managed in their last three.

Defensive concerns in each penalty area

What will be concerning for both teams is not just the recent defeats but also the goals they have shipped. Hull have conceded eight in their last three, one more than a frail Chelsea side in the same amount of games. Gary Cahill in particular has faced a difficult time of late and it remains to be seen whether he will keep his place on Saturday, though captain John Terry remains sidelined.

The Chelsea skipper is joined by midfielder John Obi Mikel in the Chelsea treatment room with a minor muscular injury. Hull have been boosted by the return of captain Michael Dawson to training but he will not be included in this weekend's squad and will continue to sit out along with the suspended Elmohamady.

Chelsea go into the match as favourites

History unsurprisingly favours Chelsea. Hull have only beaten the London club four times in 44 attempts, suffering 30 defeats in the process. That period includes the Premier League era where they have not been victorious in eight meetings, losing six. Hull's last success came all of 28 years ago.

If Hull are to overturn the record books, they are likely to rely heavily on Scotland international Robert Snodgrass. The midfielder has netted five times in his last four outings for club and country. However, the Tigers will also need to ensure they are tight at the back as joint Premier League top goalscorer Diego Costa will be on the prowl.

The Spaniard has scored five times in the Premier League this season and also boasts a healthy record against Hull, whereby he and Eden Hazard have scored five of the last seven goals for the Blues against the Yorkshire club.

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