Chelsea moved to the top of the Premier League table on Saturday as they earned a 2-0 win over Hull City at the KC Stadium.
The Blues opened the scoring 10 minutes into the second half as Eden Hazard found the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.
The visitors then sealed the victory in the final minutes thanks to a strike from Fernando Torres.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two teams.
Match statistics
Hull
Shots: 10
On target: 2
Possession: 44%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 12
Chelsea
Shots: 14
On target: 5
Possession: 56%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 7
Was the result fair?
Chelsea huffed and puffed for large parts of the first half, but an improved display after the break saw them come away from the KC Stadium with a deserved three points. Hull put up a decent fight, particularly during the opening 45 minutes, but it was not enough.
Hull's performance
The hosts gave as good as they got in the first half as they frustrated Chelsea by being organised, compact and full of determination. The visitors struggled to break down their opponents, who would have been happy heading down the tunnel at half time. However, they looked overwhelmed for much of the second period due to a more focused showing from Chelsea. That said, Steve Bruce is likely to be pleased with the commitment of his players against a raft of world-class talent.
Chelsea's performance
Jose Mourinho's side were well below par in the first half, failing to pose much of a threat to Hull. Their passing and movement was off the pace, while a lack of inspiration saw them go in at the break with the look of a team lost. That all changed after the restart though as the visitors got their spark back. They pinned Hull back with some crisp and inventive attacking play and looked well in control as the game wore on. It would have been a big relief for them when the first goal went in, but the result was never really in question after that.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Eden Hazard: Not only did Hazard score Chelsea's opening goal, but he was far and away their biggest threat all afternoon. The Belgian kept the Hull defence constantly on their toes with some tricky runs while linking up well with Oscar and Willian during what was a dynamic 90 minutes.
Biggest gaffe
Yannick Sagbo had a decent chance to put Hull ahead in the first half after he was gifted the ball by John Terry inside the Chelsea penalty area. However, the striker lacked composure and fluffed his lines by thrashing the ball wide of the post.
Referee performance
Mark Clattenburg was a bit hasty with a couple of bookings during what occasionally became a feisty encounter, but the official had an otherwise steady match at the KC Stadium.
What next?
Hull: The Tigers return to action next Saturday with a trip to Norwich City in the Premier League.
Chelsea: The Blues continue their campaign next Sunday when they host champions Manchester United in the Premier League.
Jack Prescott
