Liverpool held out to beat Sunderland 2-1 at Anfield on Wednesday night as they moved within a point of Premier League leaders Chelsea.
Steven Gerrard gave the hosts a first-half lead, curling home a free kick, before Daniel Sturridge doubled their tally shortly after the break.
Sunderland substitute Sung-yueng Ki headed home Adam Johnson's corner to give Sunderland hope and create an air of tension on Merseyside.
Despite enjoyed a prolonged period of possession, Sunderland were unable to find the equaliser, as Liverpool were forced to hold out for the points.
West Ham ended a three-game losing streak against 10-man Hull - but they made hard work of seeing off the spirited Tigers at Upton Park.
Visiting goalkeeper Allan McGregor was shown a straight red card after charging into Mo Diame, with Mark Noble dispatching the resulting penalty to set Sam Allardyce's side on course for their first Barclays Premier League win since February 22.
But Steve Bruce's Hull did not lie down without a fight and made a good first of getting something out of the game, with Nikica Jelavic scoring his fourth goal for the club before a James Chester own goal to gift the Hammers a much-needed three points.
The Geordie Boy claims referees are lacking in common sense after seeing a red card cost Hull City in a 2-1 defeat at West Ham United.
The Tigers were reduced to 10 men 23 minutes into a crunch clash at Upton Park, with goalkeeper Allan McGregor dismissed for bringing down Mohamed Diame after he bundled his way into the box.
To rub salt into the wounds, the Scottish shot-stopper was injured in the collision, forcing him to spend Wednesday night in hospital with damage to his kidneys.
Steve Bruce: "It's too often that we stand here and criticise referee decisions, it's far too often. Sam (Allardyce) is talking about, in his programme notes today, decisions he's had in the last three games.
"We've got video evidence of the referee turning away from it, and I'm asking him 'Did he make the decision, was he listening to somebody', and he said he made the decision.
"When you look at him and analyse it, he's turned away from it and it's only when two players are down that he's made a decision.
"It might be the right decision, he's missed a hand-ball, but these rules are supposed to make the game fair.
"It's an innocuous challenge, he's got there first the lad, it may be a penalty, but to send him off...Is a penalty not enough? To send him off, for me he doesn't make that decision.
"It's hard enough to come to West Ham with 11, let alone 10. It's too often that we're talking about big games like this and ludicrous decisions that they keep constantly making.
"I don't know what we do, but it's got to improve.
"We come on every day and we just talk about decisions. Why can't they just have a bit of common sense?
"These rules were brought in to say that if it is blatant - Allan McGregor is in hospital in a really serious way. He's made a genuine attempt for the ball, he hasn't got it, but surely is that not sufficient? We've got somebody back on the line to clear it.
"Thankfully we still then made it a spectacle, but I think we tend to forget that there is people paying great money and there are huge big things at stake.
"For me, there is no common sense in the referees at all. They are governed by the letter of the law, to a degree, which is ludicrous in my opinion."