Drogba double saves Blues

The Ivory Coast international grabbed the winner in added time to shatter battling Hull's hopes of a point.

Chelsea had trailed to a 27th-minute goal from Hull's debut boy Stephen Hunt, but Drogba levelled the scores in the 37th minute with a dipping 25-yard free-kick and then grabbed the winner late in the game to secure maximum reward for the home side.

The home side should have taken the lead as early as the second minute but Drogba fired wide from six yards after Michael Essien's superb cross fell directly at the feet of the unmarked striker.

Hull gave Chelsea a warning in the ninth minute when captain George Boateng shot just wide of Petr Cech's right-hand upright from 20 yards. Four minutes later a cross from Hunt was headed over by Dean Marney. The Hull midfielder was allowed to ghost into the penalty unmarked and should have done better with his finish. Cech then had to be alert to save another shot from Boateng as the Tigers began to find some success in the attacking third.

Chelsea were then upset at a free-kick awarded by Alan Riley when the official insisted that Jose Bosingwa had tugged the shirt of Hunt. It got worse for the Blues when Andy Dawson sent the free-kick towards the Chelsea penalty area. It was only half-cleared to Boateng on the edge of the area and his shot cannoned off both Ashley Cole and Mikel before falling to Hunt to apply an easy finish into an unguarded net.

That made it a terrific start to his Hull career for Hunt who was booed all afternoon by the Chelsea fans. They still have not forgiven the former Reading player for the challenge in an October 2006 match which left Cech with a fractured skull. Cech is still required to wear protective head gear.

The Blues were level in the 37th minute thanks to a superb free-kick strike by Drogba. Seyi Olofinjana was penalised by Wiley for holding off Mikel 25 yards out and Drogba punished them severely when he sent a dipping shot over the defensive wall and into the right corner.

Essien almost gave Chelsea the lead in the 74th minute but his 20-yard volley was narrowly wide of the target. Bosingwa then brought a fine diving save from Boaz Myhill as his effort looked to creep in.

Substitute Salomon Kalou, on for Anelka, then headed over from Deco's cross as Chelsea chased a winner. But Drogba scored a vital winner two minutes into added time when he somehow chipped the ball over Myhill and into the far corner from an acute angle.