Hazard double helps Blues close in on title

Premier LeAGUe: Liverpool falter, while Arsenal return to winning ways

Eden Hazard scored a double to help CHELSEA fight off the challenge of

MANCHESTER CITY and take a step closer to the Premier League title with a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge.

Antonio Conte’s side showed resilience in responding from their surprise loss to Crystal Palace, and the gap at the top remained seven points as second-placed Tottenham came from behind to win at Swansea.

Goalkeeping errors contributed to the opening goals as Hazard shot through Willy Caballero and Thibaut Courtois gifted City an equaliser, scored by Sergio Aguero.

Hazard saw a penalty saved by Caballero, but tucked in the follow-up to give Chelsea a 2-1 half-time lead which they would not relinquish.

City poured forward time and again in the second half and John Stones missed from three yards in stoppage time.

HULL climbed out of the bottom three for the first time since October and pushed MIDDLESBROUGH closer towards relegation with a thrilling 4-2 win at the KCOM Stadium.

Oumar Niasse and Abel Hernandez gave Hull a two-goal cushion after teammate Lazar Markovic had cancelled out Alvaro Negredo’s early opener for Middlesbrough in a breathtaking first 45 minutes.

Boro hit back in first-half stoppagetime through Marten de Roon’s controversial header before Harry Maguire headed Hull’s fourth midway through the second period.

ARSENAL returned to winning ways with a solid 3-0 victory over WEST

HAM as a fifth straight defeat plunged Slaven Bilic’s visitors deeper into the fight for Premier League survival.

Both sides went into the London derby in dire form but it was the Gunners who addressed that and achieved their first league win since February 11.

Mesut Ozil marked his 150th Arsenal appearance with a tame opening goal before laying on the second for Theo Walcott. Olivier Giroud came off the bench to score the goal of the night.

LIVERPOOL let a lead slip away late on to draw 2-2 against BOURNEMOUTH and miss the chance to strengthen their grip on third place.

Goals from Philippe Coutinho and Divock Origi appeared to have put the hosts on course to open up a six-point gap on fourth-placed Manchester City.

However, Josh King struck in the 87th minute to follow Benik Afobe’s early opener as Bournemouth earned a point.

Maya Yoshida and James WardProwse spared Shane Long’s blushes as SOUTHAMPTON hit two goals in as many minutes to sink CRYSTAL

PALACE 3-1 at St Mary’s. Republic of Ireland striker Long spurned a trio of chances and Saints were almost made to pay for that wastefulness until Yoshida came to the rescue.

The Japan defender’s tap-in seven minutes from time turned the game, after Christian Benteke and Nathan Redmond had traded first-half goals.

PA. Joshua King scores Bournemouth’s 87th-minute equaliser in their 2-2 Premier League draw with Liverpool at Anfield as the Reds missed the chance to strengthen their grip on third place.