Hull City 0 Chelsea 2 Willian and Diego Costa give Hull runaround with second half strikes
Chelsea struggled in the first half and failed to put shot on target - but Antonio Conte's men came good in the end
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SECOND half goals from Willian and Diego Costa wrapped up a welcome three points as they recovered from their thrashing at Arsenal.
Costa struck the winner in the 66th minute, sweeping a curling shot past a helpless David Marshall and into the top corner from just inside the area.
Nemanja Matic set up the chance with a terrific run from deep and a shot that deflected into Costa's path off Curtis Davies.
Willian had broken the deadlock on the hour, also with a sublime finish.
He checked back on to his left foot and curled a 18-yarder past wrong-footed Marshall.
The Blues initially struggled to find a way past Davies and the rest of the resolute Hull defence. In fact, they failed to put a first half shot on target - just as they did against in their defeat to Arsenal last weekend.
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There was a penalty appeal, though, when Victor Moses went down in a heap after a tangle with Adama Diomande. But ref Anthony Taylor wasn't interested.
They came alive after the break, Eden Hazard turning inside Andrew Robertson and unleashing a stinging shot from 20 yards which Marshall tipped expertly over.
Hull, were the more inventive side early on with Ryan Mason testing Thibaut Courtoisfrom 20 yards after excellent work by Jake Livermore.
And Sam Clucas - signed from Chesterfield for a little over a million and up against N'Golo Kante who was signed from Leicester for 30 times that amount - sent a fabulous volley delicious volleyed ball forward to Dieumerci Mbokani.
But the striker couldn't control and Courtois picked up the pieces.
Instead, Chelsea began to dominate and the Tigers survived another spot kick appeal in the 77th minute.
An smashing backheel from Costa into the path of Willian saw a stretching Davies just manage to get a toe to the ball.
In the closing stages Oscar tried to make it a hat-trick of right-footed curlers into Marshall's top-left corner, but the Hull keeper pushed the ball away, while Pedro stabbed a Marcos Alonso cross wide when well placed.
STATS, FACTS, GOALS & LOLS
- Visiting Chelsea fans might have wondered how Hull has been awarded the title of the UK’s City of Culture for 2017. Locals used today’s match to promote their volunteer scheme. But chants of ‘City of culture, we know what we are’ were really not needed.
- It takes a brave man to drop Branislav Ivanovic, who is close to owner Roman Abramovich. But Antonio Conte did just that, becoming the first Blues boss to axe the Sebian on form since Andre Villas-Boas in 2011-12.
- Conte still doesn’t have much time for Cesc Fabregas. He gave the Spaniard is first league start at Arsenal. But Fabregas was subbed after 55 minutes there – and was out of the team today.
- Expect Chelsea to continue playing three at the back. Conte switched to the wing-backs system in the second half at Arsenal and started with it again here – to great success.
- Robert Snodgrass must be one of the best free-kick takers in the country at the moment. He’s already scored two this season and would have had a third were it not for a brilliant save from Thibaut Courtois.
7Antonio Conte must have given Chelsea a half-time rollickingCredit: PA:Press Association 
7Hull caretaker boss Mike Phelan would have been happy with his side's first half performanceCredit: PA:Press Association - Sam Clucas is Premier League class. The Hull midfielder was playing non-league just three years ago. But his super display against the Blues proved he can cut it at this level.
- Whatever Conte said to his Chelsea side at half-time had the desired effect. The Italian clearly gave them the hairdryer treatment because the Blues were a different side after the break.
- N’Golo Kante has a lot of qualities – but finishing is not one of them. He only scored one league goal for Leicester last season. And in the second-half here he blazed over from ten yards with the goal gaping.
- The Blues faithful chanted ‘Boring, boring Chelsea’ after Diego Costa scored their side’s second. And that will have been music to the ears of Conte, who immediately shouted “clean sheet” as the team were still celebrating.
- Hull need to end the uncertainty over Mike Phelan’s future. They may be without a win in their last five league matches but he still deserves to be handed the reins on a permanent basis. And the ongoing contract talks are not doing the club any favours.
BIG PICTURE
DREAM TEAM RATINGS
Hull City: Marshall 7, Meyler 6, Davies 7, Livermore 7, Robertson 6,
Snodgrass 6, Henriksen 6 (Hernandez, 72, 6), Clucas 6 (Huddlestone, 81, 6), Mason 5, Diomande 6 (Maloney, 63, 5), Mbokani 6.
Subs not used: Maguire, Jakupovic, Weir, Keane
Chelsea: Courtois 7, Azpilicueta 7, Cahill 7, Luiz 7, Alonso 7, Kante 7,
Matic 6, Moses 8 (Pedro 85, 5), Willian 8 (Chalobah, 89, 5), Hazard 7 (Oscar, 81,6), Costa 8
Subs not used: Begovic, Ivanovic, Fabregas, Batshuayi
Star Man: DIEGO COSTA 8
NEXT FIVE GAMES
Hull City
Oct 15 Bournemouth (A) - PL
Oct 22 Stoke City (H) - PL
Oct 29 Watford (A) - PL
Nov 6 Southampton (H) -PL
Nov 19 Sunderland (A) - PL
Chelsea
Oct 15 Leicester (H) - PL
Oct 23 Man United (H) - PL
Oct 26 West Ham (A) - EFL
Oct 30 Southampton (A) - PL
Nov 5 Everton (H) - PL
SOCIAL SAYS
WHAT THEY SAID
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte:
"Every game is very tough in England and I am pleased with our performance because we scored two goal and got a clean sheet. I saw the right pressure and the right intensity from the players.
"After these two defeats it's not easy to work because two defeats for Chelsea are heavy defeats. But this was a good answer.
"I saw many of the players with great commitment, attitude and will to change the situation. I am pleased for them.
"We must follow this with work, work, work!"
Hull caretaker manager Mike Phelan:
"We were quite pleased we created a few issues for them in the first half, but we expect a team like Chelsea to ramp up the pressure a little bit.
"It has been difficult to get forward but we're not playing Mickey Mouse teams here. We have to be sensible with our approach and can't just be open against these teams.
"My situation has fluctuated from week to week but we're not far apart. We are talking and having lunches together, the owners and I. It's just a case of where it all stands.
"Now we have to get together and move forward. I don't think there's any issues with the players who are here, they are trying to win football matches."
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