Steven Gerrard’s quickly equalised Jake Livermore’s deflected opener in the first half but disastrous defending let in David Meyler before Tom Huddlestone’s shot was diverted in.

Livermore’s first Tigersgoal put the home side in front after 20 minutes at the KC Stadium on Sunday but a superb Steven Gerrard free kick, almost 15 years to the day since his Liverpool debut, levelled matters.

But Hull were rewarded for a stirring second-half performance when Meyler reacted quickest to pick up the loose ball and fire in with 19 minutes remaining before Martin Skrtel’s own goal settled the result.

The result catapults the hosts into the top half of the table and leaves Liverpool seven points adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Hull manager Steve Bruce made two changes from their defeat to Crystal Palace and Liverpool counterpart Brendan Rodgers made three alterations following the 3-3 Merseyside derby draw. Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring against Everton last Saturday but was one of those who dropped to the bench, while the injured Paul McShane was replaced by Alex Bruce for Hull.

The Tigers had lost four of their previous five Premier League games and, despite Liverpool’s dominance of possession, it was the home side who created the first chance. A corner was cleared as far as Alex Bruce after 14 minutes and his teasing cross was glanced just wide by Curtis Davies.

And Hull went in front six minutes later when Livermore and Meyler combined for the former to unleash a shot that took a wicked deflection off Skrtel and flew past Simon Mignolet, his first goal for the club since joining on loan from Tottenham.

But the lead was short-lived as Liverpool captain Gerrard produced a sumptuous free kick that he whipped into Allan McGregor’s far corner from 25 yards.

Luis Suarez cut a frustrated figure for most of the half and missed a very presentable opportunity in the final minute of the opening period when Raheem Sterling found the Uruguayan on the left but his side-footed effort was tame and straight at McGregor.

Liverpool should have gone in front after 70 minutes when Coutinho’s cross found Victor Moses, who met it on the volley but was denied at point-blank range by McGregor.

McGregor’s save proved crucial as Hull regained the lead a minute later after the Reds failed to clear and Meyler picked up the loose ball and showed great composure before firing in his first goal of the season.

Suarez whistled a late free kick wide before Hull put the game out of reach with four minutes remaining when Huddlestone’s effort was headed into his own net by the unfortunate Skrtel.

According to Goal

Manuel Pellegrini’s men kept up their flawless record in domestic competition at the Etihad Stadium this season and plunged the Capital One Cup holders into further trouble.

The Etihad Stadium faithful might have had designs on a repeat of the recent 7-0 and 6-0 romps over Norwich City and Tottenham after Alvaro Negredo netted an eighth-minute free kick but the Swans more than matched Manuel Pellegrini’s men in the first period and Jonathan De Guzman should have equalised on the stroke of the interval.

However, Nasri followed his midweek Champions League strike against Viktoria Plzen with two more, the second from a first-time finish that capped a sumptuous team move featuring James Milner and Pablo Zabaleta.

The result moves Pellgrini’s men into third, six points shy of leaders Arsenal, while Swansea lie 13th.

Joleon Lescott featured at centre-back in the absence of injury victim Matija Nastasic (calf) – the only change to the Manchester City XI that thrashed Tottenham seven days previously. Gerhard Tremmel, meanwhile, was preferred to Michel Vorm in goal for a Swansea team without Angel Rangel and Wilfried Bony due to respective calf and hamstring problems suffered during their Europa League defeat to Valencia on Thursday.

Tremmel made early stops from Sergio Aguero and Negredo but was rooted to the spot when the latter opened the scoring.

Jose Canas brought down Negredo 22 yards from goal and the forward steered the resulting free kick, from the right-hand edge of the area, into the far corner, assisted by Lescott and Martin Demichelis peeling off the edge of the Swansea wall.

The visitors responded well and Jonjo Shelvey twice tested City goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, who was again selected ahead of Joe Hart, from long range before Alvaro Vazquez dragged wastefully wide after 21 minutes, having been played in by the ex-Liverpool midfielder.

Demichelis thudded a header from Nasri’s 30th-minute corner against the bar but the former Bayern Munich centre-back’s defensive display was far less convincing.

Having escaped punishment for pulling back Pablo Hernandez in his own box, Demichelis was nutmegged and left on his backside by De Guzman, who blazed the subsequent glorious chance over in the first half’s final minute.

The angle closed cruelly on Aguero as he hit the side netting in the 53rd minute after collecting a raking ball with an exquisite touch and rounding Tremmel.

Yaya Toure was the provider on that occasion and the Ivory Coast midfielder tore at Swansea with one of his trademark driving runs in the 58th minute before finding Nasri, who cut inside Ashley Williams and produced an assured finish.

Swansea started to feel the pace as the game entered its final quarter and City right-back Zabaleta burst forward to chip narrowly over, while Aguero flashed a shot across the goalmouth from Milner’s through-ball, having failed to convert the substitute’s cross.

Nasri’s final flourish arrived in the 77th minute and City will now aim to address their troublesome away form in trips to West Brom and Southampton over the next six days.

According to Goal

Jay Rodriguez opened the scoring after just 13 seconds but Jose Mourinho’s men were greatly improved in the second half, defenders Gary Cahill and John Terry turning the tide.

John Terry marked his 400th Premier League appearance with a goal as Chelsea came from behind to beat Southampton 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues looked to be in danger of slipping to their first home defeat in the top flight under Jose Mourinho when Jay Rodriguez was gifted the opening goal after only 13 seconds following a bad mistake from Michael Essien.

Essien was making his first Premier League start since May 2012 and, after he was substituted at half-time, the midfielder’s blushes were spared as Chelsea fought back to secure all three points courtesy of Gary Cahill’s first league goal of the season, Terry’s towering header and Demba Ba’s last-minute strike.

Southampton were forced to give goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga his first appearance for a year when Artur Boruc went off with an injury just after the equaliser and the youngster was beaten twice as the visitors slipped to their second defeat in London in the space of eight days.

Victory for second-placed Chelsea ensured that they cut the gap on leaders Arsenal to four points.

Mourinho made four changes to his starting line-up from their midweek defeat to Basel. Samuel Eto’o was replaced by Fernando Torres up front, while Eden Hazard and Juan Mata joined Essien in the starting line-up as Willian, Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel dropped to the bench.

Defender Dejan Lovren returned for Southampton at the expense of Jos Hooiveld after missing the defeat at Arsenaldue to illness and striker Daniel Osvaldo was preferred to Rickie Lambert in attack.

Mourinho would have been eager for Essien to stamp his authority on the game but the Chelsea boss must have been questioning his team selection once again straight from the kick-off as the midfielder’s attempted clearance looped into the air and into the path of Rodriguez, who kept his nerve to beat Petr Cech with a composed right-footed finish.

Essien’s miserable afternoon continued when he was booked for diving after 32 minutes and Oscar headed straight at Boruc soon after he had picked up an injury that resulted in Lampard replacing him five minutes before half-time.

The Pole made an outstanding reflex save to claw out a Torres header after 43 minutes as Chelsea’s frustration mounted.

Mourinho replaced Essien with Ba at the break and Boruc had to be alert once again to tip over Lampard’s free kick, but Chelsea were level after 54 minutes when Ba diverted Branislav Ivanovic’s header into the post and Cahill scrambled in the rebound from close range.

That proved to be the end of Boruc’s afternoon as he was replaced by Gazzaniga due to injury and the young Argentinian keeper was picking the ball out of the back of the net just four minutes after coming on, when Terry rose highest to meet Mata’s cross and headed into the far corner of the net.

Chelsea stayed on the front foot and Ba flashed a shot wide with his left foot after 71 minutes after shrugging off his marker but the Senegal striker was not to be denied after 89 minutes when he poked the ball inside the near post with his right foot after great work from Ramires on the left.

According to Goal

Kyle Walker scored at one end before erring at the other to costly effect, while Sandro’s second-half thunderbolt was swiftly cancelled out as Hugo Lloris caused a spot kick.

Tottenham and Manchester United each lost further ground on Premier League leaders Arsenal courtesy of a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane.

Wayne Rooney twice levelled for the visitors in an action-packed encounter, his second goal coming from the penalty spot on 57 minutes.

Kyle Walker, who was at fault for Rooney’s first, and Sandro had put Tottenham ahead, the latter with a spectacular long-range strike.

Having been thrashed 6-0 at Manchester City in their last league match, Andre Villas-Boas’s men can take heart from a much more competitive showing and their first league goals since October, while United are now unbeaten in 12 matches across all competitions.

However, both sides remain outside the top four and some way adrift of Arsenal, Tottenham trailing the front-runners by 10 points and the Red Devils by nine.

Villas-Boas made three changes to the side humbled at the Etihad Stadium, with Younes Kaboul, Lewis Holtby and Erik Lamela – who did not even make the bench – omitted. Robin van Persie remained sidelined for the visitors, whose team included four alterations from the 2-2 draw at Cardiff City, with 40-year-old Ryan Giggs among those to miss out.

Rooney saw a goalbound strike superbly blocked by Sandro prior to Walker opening the scoring in the 18th minute. Jonny Evans upended Paulinho on the edge of the area and Tottenham’s right-back drilled the resulting free kick under United’s jumping wall.

The influential Rooney was forced into a block of his own to deny Michael Dawson before Tottenham – a constant threat on the counterattack – spurned two chances in quick succession either side of the half-hour mark.

Roberto Soldado fired high and wide following a delightful exchange of passes with Paulinho, while Aaron Lennon’s left-footed effort forced David de Gea into a save with his feet.

Tottenham were swiftly punished for not extending their advantage in the 32nd minute as Walker diverted a right-wing cross from Phil Jones into the path of Rooney, who fired home from close range.

The home side regained the lead in stunning fashion nine minutes after the break, though, with Sandro cutting inside Tom Cleverley before unleashing a thunderous strike into the top-right corner.

Yet United were level again within three minutes, Rooney firing a penalty straight down the middle for his eighth Premier League goal of the season after Danny Welbeck had been brought down by Hugo Lloris.

Rooney threatened again from a Patrice Evra cross, while Walker put another free kick narrowly wide before providing a delightful cross with which substitute Andros Townsend came agonisingly close to connecting, yet neither team could find a winner.

According to Goal