PREMIER LEAGUE: George Boateng believes Hull could have avoided relegation had influential Irish winger Stephen Hunt not suffered a season-ending injury.

RAFAEL BENITEZ will meet Liverpool’s owners next week when he will make it clear his position will become untenable should the club decide to cash in on Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

Hull 0 Liverpool 0

Phil Brown has refused to quash speculation he could resume his role as Hull manager at the end of the season.

HULL’s defeat to Sunderland may have consigned them to relegation but no one can claim that they didn’t put up a fight.

ASTON VILLA boosted their Champions League hopes and dealt Hull’s survival chances a potentially fatal blow with a deserved victory at the KC Stadium last night.

Hull 0 Aston Villa 2

Birmingham 0 Hull 0

Hull 1 Burnley 4

George Boateng has been given a 45% chance of playing in Hull’s Barclays Premier League relegation battle with Burnley tomorrow.

HULL is not a city you pass through.

Hull have received some good news after midfielder George Boateng was released from hospital following a sickening head injury at Stoke yesterday.

Stoke 2 Hull 0

Frank Lampard’s first-half double nudged Chelsea back towards the top of the Barclays Premier League table in a hard-fought clash with Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.

Iain Dowie will make his first team selection as Hull manager for the Tigers’ vital trip to Portsmouth tomorrow.

ARSENE Wenger must wish championships were awarded for inner belief and mental strength because, if they were, the Arsenal manager would now be the proud owner of another Premier League title.

Hull 1 Arsenal 2

HULL manager Phil Brown has apologised for the “unsavoury” public bust-up between Jimmy Bullard and Nicky Barmby this week.

West Ham 3 Hull 0

Hull manager Phil Brown may call on midfielder Jimmy Bullard for only the sixth time since his £5m move from Fulham last January in tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League clash at West Ham.

Hull midfielder George Boateng today succeeded in an appeal against his dismissal against Blackburn and his three-match ban has been withdrawn.

SAM ALLARDYCE’S Blackburn hauled themselves eight points clear of the relegation zone and left Hull deep in trouble with a hard-fought win at Ewood Park last night.

Blackburn 1 Hull 0

Hull manager Phil Brown is hopeful Andy Dawson and George Boateng will be fit for the Premier League clash with Blackburn at Ewood Park tomorrow.

ROBERTO MANCINI might have a bottomless pit of money at his disposal, but one thing he cannot seem to buy as Manchester City manager is a desire for his players to produce the character required to win games away from home in the Premier League.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini criticised the Hull fans who subjected Wayne Bridge to a series of personal chants on his return to the side today.

Hull 2 Manchester City 1

Hull 1 Chelsea 1

Tottenham 0 Hull 0

Republic of Ireland defender Paul McShane has overcome the hamstring injury that has ruled him out of the last three games for Hull City.

“SO. Farewell, then, Mark Hughes.

Arsenal 3 Hull 0

Hull 0 Blackburn 0

AMID the hyperbole surrounding Manchester City and Tottenham’s pursuit of English football’s established elite, the challenge of Aston Villa has gone almost unnoticed.

Jimmy Bullard failed to make the Hull squad for tonight’s Barclays Premier League clash against Everton.

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has defended the club’s decision to sell Lee Cattermole to Wigan last year.

Liverpool winger Albert Riera returned to the starting line-up to face Hull at Anfield as manager Rafael Benitez made just one change from the side which beat West Ham 3-2 last weekend.

Hull are likely to make a number of changes for tomorrow’s Carling Cup third-round tie against Everton at the KC Stadium.

Hull 1 Bolton 0

JERMAIN DEFOE hit a superb hat-trick as Tottenham went top of the Barclays Premier League with a resounding win at Hull last night.

Hull 1 Tottenham 5

Chelsea 2 Hull 1

His acknowledgement that such celebrations would be premature is still accurate despite his team moving out of the relegation zone with a hard-earned point.

Bolton 1 Hull 1