Chelsea regained their six-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the English Premier League football table and took a step closer to the title thanks to a hard-fought 3-2 victory at Hull.
Chelsea winger Eden Hazard. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Eden Hazard's thumping strike gave Chelsea the advantage inside the first two minutes and Diego Costa added a second before Hull responded in blistering fashion to score twice in 74 seconds through Ahmed Elmohamady and Abel Hernandez.
The Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a fantastic treble-save to deny Hull in the second half and substitute Loic Remy restored the visitors' lead in the 77th minute.
Chelsea, who still have a game in hand over Manchester City, have 67 points from 29 matches, while City have 61 points from 30 games.
Arsenal are third with 60 points from 30 matches.
Hull are 15th with 28 points from 30 games.
Meanwhile Queens Park Rangers' hopes of Premier League survival were dealt a blow by 13th-placed Everton, who stole a 2-1 win at Loftus Road through on-loan Tottenham Hotspur winger Aaron Lennon.
QPR remain 19th, four points adrift of fourth-bottom Sunderland.
Liverpool's Steven Gerrard Photo: Photosport
Earlier, Juan Mata struck twice, including a sublime volley, for Manchester United in a 2-1 victory over Liverpool.
But the match will also be remembered for Steven Gerrard's 38-second cameo that ended abruptly when the captain of the home side was sent off for a stamp at Anfield.
Fourth-placed United have 59 points from 30 matches one behind Arsenal and five more than Liverpool who remain fifth.
