Chelsea ease past Hull in the Premier League

Chelsea ease past Hull in the Premier League Goals from Hazard, Costa help leaders beat 10-man Hull City; Manchester City edge past Leicester to keep up pace.   Hazard scored the opening goal and had an assist in the second for Chelsea [Getty Images] Chelsea and Manchester City tightened their stranglehold on the Premier League title race, recording

Chelsea and Manchester City tightened their stranglehold on the Premier League title race, recording victories over struggling clubs to stretch further clear of their increasingly forlorn pursuers.
Normal service was resumed at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea maintained their three-point lead over City at the top with goals from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa sinking Hull City, who had Tom Huddlestone sent off, 2-0.
Champions City maintained their ever more convincing chase, sealing their fifth successive league win at bottom club Leicester City 1-0 courtesy of a 40th-minute goal from the evergreen Frank Lampard.
City's delight, though, was tempered by another injury setback with captain Vincent Kompany, back after being sidelined, limping off with hamstring trouble.
Fourth-placed West Ham's progress was checked by a 1-1 draw at Sunderland and Southampton lost 1-0 to an Ashley Barnes goal at Burnley.
That left the chasing pack, headed by third-placed Manchester United and West Ham, 11 points behind Chelsea and eight adrift of the champions.

Results:
Burnley 1-0 Southampton
Chelsea 2-0 Hull

Crystal Palace 1-1 Stoke
Leicester 0-1 Man City
Sunderland 1-1 West Ham
West Brom 1-0 Aston Villa