London (dpa) - Diego Costa scored his 12th goal of the season as
Chelsea beat Hull City 2-0 on Saturday to stay three points clear of
Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
Eden Hazard scored the other goal and Hull ended the game with
10 men as Jose Mourinho's side maintained their advantage over City, who won 1-0 at bottom club Leicester through a Frank Lampard goal.
Chelsea rested midfielder Cesc Fabregas but the understudies filled in well and Hazard headed the home side in front early on.
After the sending-off of Hull midfielder Tom Huddlestone on the hour mark, Costa sealed the victory with another cool finish.
"It was not a special performance, it was just a good enough performance," Mourinho said.
"We were never in trouble. The 10 against 11 didn't change the game. As always Steve's team was very well organised, made it difficult but we scored early and I think the team felt quite comfortable and we never felt any danger."
Hull manager Steve Bruce was angry at decisions he felt went against his side, especially two involving Chelsea defender Gary Cahill, first for a robust challenge and then for what Bruce said was a dive.
"I don't believe that Gary makes a simulation," Mourinho said. "If he dived it was because he was like in a sandwich with two players blocking his run or because somebody touched him. Gary to dive, I don't believe it."
Lampard's winner at Leicester moved him alongside former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry in fourth place in the all-time Premier League goalscoring list with his 175.
City lost captain Vincent Kompany to a suspected hamstring injury midway through the second half but Lampard said the win was all that mattered.
"Those are the kind of games we need to get results, we needed to grind them out," he said. "We were not at our best but got three points.
"We were nowhere near the force we can be sometimes, but you have to show two sides to your game and I think we did that today.
"I'm very happy with it (his 175th goal). I thought it was going to be out of my reach. I have respect for Henry, he is one of the greatest in Premier League history and to be up there with him his incredible."
West Ham remain fourth, but now level on points with Manchester United in third, after a 1-1 draw at Sunderland.
Jordi Gomez gave the home side the lead on 22 minutes after a controversially-awarded penalty before Stewart Downing equalized seven minutes later.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was upset with the penalty decision, given when Adam Johnson fell in the area.
"We respect a point away from home in the Premier League and you have to be satisfied when you come back from a goal down," he said.
"(But) it was not a penalty and it is as simple as that. It was given by the assistant referee and he got it horribly wrong. On the performance overall I think we deserved all three points."
Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla each scored twice as Arsenal beat Newcastle 4-1 to move level on points with Southampton in fifth, two points away from the top four.
The Frenchman headed Arsenal in front on 15 minutes and Arsenal were three goals up within an hour as Cazorla and then Giroud again found the net.
Ayoze Perez pulled one back for Newcastle but Cazorla grabbed his second from the penalty spot after Danny Welbeck was fouled two minutes from time as Arsenal eased to their fifth win in six matches.
Ashley Barnes scored the only goal as Burnley moved out of the bottom three with a 1-0 win over Southampton, who missed a penalty and hit the woodwork late on.
"We believe in the way we operate and that was on show today," Burnley manager Sean Dyche said. "They are a very good team."
Crystal Palace were held to a 1-1 draw by Stoke and West Brom moved out of trouble thanks to a 1-0 win over 10-man Aston Villa, who had Kieran Richardson sent off early on.
Eden Hazard scored the other goal and Hull ended the game with
10 men as Jose Mourinho's side maintained their advantage over City, who won 1-0 at bottom club Leicester through a Frank Lampard goal.
Chelsea rested midfielder Cesc Fabregas but the understudies filled in well and Hazard headed the home side in front early on.
After the sending-off of Hull midfielder Tom Huddlestone on the hour mark, Costa sealed the victory with another cool finish.
"It was not a special performance, it was just a good enough performance," Mourinho said.
"We were never in trouble. The 10 against 11 didn't change the game. As always Steve's team was very well organised, made it difficult but we scored early and I think the team felt quite comfortable and we never felt any danger."
Hull manager Steve Bruce was angry at decisions he felt went against his side, especially two involving Chelsea defender Gary Cahill, first for a robust challenge and then for what Bruce said was a dive.
"I don't believe that Gary makes a simulation," Mourinho said. "If he dived it was because he was like in a sandwich with two players blocking his run or because somebody touched him. Gary to dive, I don't believe it."
Lampard's winner at Leicester moved him alongside former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry in fourth place in the all-time Premier League goalscoring list with his 175.
City lost captain Vincent Kompany to a suspected hamstring injury midway through the second half but Lampard said the win was all that mattered.
"Those are the kind of games we need to get results, we needed to grind them out," he said. "We were not at our best but got three points.
"We were nowhere near the force we can be sometimes, but you have to show two sides to your game and I think we did that today.
"I'm very happy with it (his 175th goal). I thought it was going to be out of my reach. I have respect for Henry, he is one of the greatest in Premier League history and to be up there with him his incredible."
West Ham remain fourth, but now level on points with Manchester United in third, after a 1-1 draw at Sunderland.
Jordi Gomez gave the home side the lead on 22 minutes after a controversially-awarded penalty before Stewart Downing equalized seven minutes later.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was upset with the penalty decision, given when Adam Johnson fell in the area.
"We respect a point away from home in the Premier League and you have to be satisfied when you come back from a goal down," he said.
"(But) it was not a penalty and it is as simple as that. It was given by the assistant referee and he got it horribly wrong. On the performance overall I think we deserved all three points."
Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla each scored twice as Arsenal beat Newcastle 4-1 to move level on points with Southampton in fifth, two points away from the top four.
The Frenchman headed Arsenal in front on 15 minutes and Arsenal were three goals up within an hour as Cazorla and then Giroud again found the net.
Ayoze Perez pulled one back for Newcastle but Cazorla grabbed his second from the penalty spot after Danny Welbeck was fouled two minutes from time as Arsenal eased to their fifth win in six matches.
Ashley Barnes scored the only goal as Burnley moved out of the bottom three with a 1-0 win over Southampton, who missed a penalty and hit the woodwork late on.
"We believe in the way we operate and that was on show today," Burnley manager Sean Dyche said. "They are a very good team."
Crystal Palace were held to a 1-1 draw by Stoke and West Brom moved out of trouble thanks to a 1-0 win over 10-man Aston Villa, who had Kieran Richardson sent off early on.
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