PREMIER LEAGUE: CHELSEA BOUNCE BACK; WATFORD, WEST HAM HELD

helsea returned to winning ways after successive Premier League defeats with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Hull at the KCOM Stadium Saturday.


After a cagey first-half with chances few and far between, the Blues surged ahead through Willian’s superb curling effort that found the top right hand corner following good hold up play from Diego Costa on 61 minutes.

Buoyed by the goal, Antonio Conte’s men doubled their lead eight minutes later when Costa found the top corner with a similar strike to Willian’s after a powerful run from Nemanja Matic.

Substitutes Oscar and Pedro came close to increasing their lead as Hull’s resistance waned in the dying stages, but Conte will be pleased with the three points after the recent slide.

Watford twice came from behind to secure a point in a 2-2 thriller against Bournemouth at Vicarage Road.

Callum Wilson headed the Cherries ahead from Junior Stanislas’ deflected cross but Watford levelled through captain Troy Deeney’s 99th goal for the club at the restart, after Artur Boruc’s double save denied Nordin Amrabat.

Substitute Joshua King restored Bournemouth’s lead with a deflected strike but Nigerian starlet Isaac Success equalised with a header off José Holebas’ free-kick.

Dimitri Payet scored the goal of the season to stem West Ham’s run of four successive league defeats in a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough at the Olympic Stadium.

Payet replied his critics in style, by collecting possession on the left and weaving his way across goal past four defenders before rifling in a low shot to cancel out Cristhian Stuani’s opener for Boro.

Patrick van Aanholt scored a late equaliser for perennial strugglers Sunderland as they ended a run of three straight defeats with a draw against West Brom who took the lead through Nacer Chadli’s third league goal of the season.

Earlier, Liverpool maintained their title charge with a feisty 2-1 victory over Swansea at the Liberty Stadium to pile the pressure on manager Francesco Guidolin.

Leroy Fer gave the hosts a first-half lead after Liverpool failed to clear their lines from a corner, but Roberto Firmino levelled shortly after half-time when he latched onto a cross from Jordan Henderson.

James Milner netted the winner from the spot after Firmino was fouled in the 84th minute as Jurgen Klopp’s men recorded their fourth Premier League win in a row.