Sergio Aguero struck as Manchester City ended a four-match run without a Premier League win by beating Hull City 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Ahmed Elhmohamady’s own-goal, just after the half-hour mark, gave Pep Guardiola’s team a lead at the interval, before they pressed home their advantage.
Aguero squeezed in a second goal three minutes after half-time, set up by Raheem Sterling, who also created the third with a short pass that Fabian Delph thumped in for his first league goal of the season.
Hull pulled one back late on through Italian defender Andrea Ranocchia, with a shot that recalled goalkeeper Claudio Bravo should have saved.
Victory strengthened City’s grip on the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot, with Guardiola’s men now seven points ahead of fifth-placed Arsenal.
Meanwhile Hull remained just above the relegation zone.
Hull’s home form has been the key factor in their push for top-flight survival since manager Marco Silva’s arrival in January; they arrived at the Etihad having taken just one point from their previous 13 away matches.
Silva set up his team to absorb City pressure and then cause problems on the counter-attack, which they did at times, without causing Bravo too many difficulties for most of the match.
The Chile international was recalled in goal for his first Premier League appearance since January 21, but all he had to do in the first half was punch away one cross from Kamil Grosicki.
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