Loic Remy grabs the points late for Chelsea

No pondering for Jose, it was late cheer on the Humber

Second-half substitute Loic Remy fired Chelsea further towards the title despite surrendering a two-goal lead at the KC Stadium.

In what was an open and pulsating match Hull will feel unlucky not to have taken something from this game after doing so well to peg Chelsea back after a disastrous start.

Chelsea took the lead within 90 seconds of kick off. Hazard picked up the ball from a Costa pass, was able to drive forward into space before unleashing a long-range effort that flew into the top corner and put all of Hull's pre-match plans to rest.

Hull almost equalised four minutes later when Abel Hernandez missed a one-on-one, he was put clean through goal but with only the keeper to beat he wasn't able to find the net, although it was a good save from Thibaut Courtois to deny him.

Chelsea doubled their lead in the ninth minute when Costa put his name on the score sheet, picking up the ball on the edge of the 18-yard area, he cut inside and from an unlikely position and somehow found the far top corner with a spectacular curling effort.

Hull once again had a good chance to score immediately following a Chelsea goal when N'Doye struck a brilliant free kick and forced a fingertip save from Courtois who had to be at his best to keep the Hull man out.

Hull looked down and out but then drew the scores level after a spell of two goals in as many minutes. The first came on 26 minutes from Ahmed Elmohamady. Andrew Robertson was the provider with a surging run and good low cross in and Elmohamady got onto the end of it to slide home from close range.

Two minutes later the scores were level as Hernandez made up for his earlier miss in what was a catalogue of errors from the Chelsea defence. Ivanovic hit a poor back pass to Courtois, the keeper then had an awful first touch and the ball rolled away from him and found a waiting Hernandez, who put the ball into an empty net.

Into the second half and it was more of the same open football that had preceded it in the first, Chelsea had a good chance when Filipe Luis picked out Fabregas on the right, his ball into the box however was collected well by McGregor in the face of an oncoming challenge from Costa.

A key moment in the game came on 67 minutes when Courtois pulled off a triple save that may well have earned the points having denied Hull the chance to take the lead for the first time in the game.

First up was Elmohamady whose shot he brilliantly kept out only for the ball to find its way to Livermore whose rebounded effort was stopped with a fantastic save from the Belgium keeper. Hull could not believe it but thought their luck was finally in only for Courtois to come to the rescue again by tipping over Gaston Ramirez's effort in could well have been the pivotal moment in the match.

The pivotal goal however came with thirteen minutes left to play, Loic Remy, having just come on, received a pass from Willian, Remy's shot wasn't the best however, but McGregor in the Hull goal made a slight mess of it and could only watch on as the ball squirmed past him and over the line.

Hull never really threatened much after that Remy strike and in the end that third goal was just a step too far as Chelsea recorded another win to move six points clear with a game in hand while Hull remain three points above the relegation zone.