Semi Ajayi Came Back From Stamford Bridge With A Point

Sports

London · Saturday 12 September 2026

Hull City drew 2-2 at Stamford Bridge and stayed unbeaten. Chelsea led inside seven minutes through Morgan Rogers, Mohamed Belloumi scored twice in six first-half minutes to turn it around, and Joao Pedro levelled on 66. Semi Ajayi played the whole match in a back line that has now taken points off Manchester United, Coventry, Aston Villa and Chelsea.

stadium tunnel players walking out Photograph by Brad Switzer via Unsplash.

Ajayi's fingerprints are on the second goal

He met a corner and headed it against the woodwork. Oli McBurnie recycled the loose ball, and Belloumi finished from the edge of the area. It does not appear in the scoring column and it decided the goal.

Why that matters for a promoted side. A team that defends deep does not manufacture many open-play chances, so set pieces are not a bonus, they are the plan. A centre-half who is a genuine aerial threat in the opposition box is worth as much to Hull as one who heads clear in his own.

Four games, and the record still holds

Opponent	Result
Manchester United	Won
Coventry City	Won
Aston Villa, away	Drew 0-0
Chelsea, away	Drew 2-2

Eight points from four, and no defeat yet.

The clean sheets have gone, which was always going to happen at Stamford Bridge. What replaced them is more interesting: Hull went behind at one of the hardest grounds in the division and led it by half time.

Keeping a good side out is a plan. Going to Stamford Bridge, conceding first and still leading at the interval is a different kind of team.

The Super Eagles question this sharpens

Ajayi has been in and out of national team conversations for most of his career. He is now starting every week in a Premier League defence that has not lost, and contributing at the other end. Nigeria has spent two years short of exactly that profile ahead of the AFCON qualifiers, and the argument for him is no longer about potential.

Reporting: Complete Sports, ESPN, Sofascore and Africa Top Sports.

Read next

• Tobi Amusan Ran 12.34, And The Cheque Was Already Written
• Kayinsola Ajayi Lost Bronze By Four Thousandths Of A Second
• INEC Wants Atiku's Certificate Suit Thrown Out Without Being Heard

If you argue about Nigerian football for a living, you may as well dress like it. Caps and tees are in the TalkTalkNigeria store, and Naira pricing is here.