Manchester City's John Stones had to be substituted off in the opening 15 minutes after picking up an injury. Bacary Sagna denied Michael Dawson by clearing a header off the line just before the hour mark before Yaya Toure struck a cool penalty in the 72nd minute of the game after Andrew Robertson's foul in the box to put City ahead.
Kelechi Iheanacho hit home from yards out in the 77th minute to secure the victory for Pep Guardiola's side, while Curtis Davies turned a Raheem Sterling cross into the back of his own net with the last kick of the game.
In the technical area, Pep Guardiola clenched his fist tightly and pumped the air. As Yaya Toure's penalty kick hit the net, there was palpable relief. City had been in a game and how Guardiola knew it.
Forty-five minutes later, he was breezing out of the KCOM Stadium press lounge with a smile on his face and one of Humberside's finest mince pies in his hands. Yet it could have been so different.
This was an important win that keeps Guardiola's side within seven points of Chelsea. After an autumn blip, results are improving.
City have won seven of nine Premier League away fixtures, as many as they won during the entirety of last season under Manuel Pellegrini.
'When a team wins 12 in a row (Chelsea), every game is a final for us if we want to be there for the rest of the season,' Guardiola said.
This, however, was a tricky night and the final scoreline was more than Man City merited. Hull manager Mike Phelan spoke afterwards of sensing 'anguish and frustration' in Pep's dugout.
After 70 minutes this had threatened to develop into a very awkward evening for Manchester City. Guardiola's team had toiled in the biting wind and, in truth, his talented set of players had appeared rather short of ideas. Hull, dogged and determined, were beginning to dream. In City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, they had reason to.
A precious point awaited Phelan, maybe even a second victory in 16 games for struggling Hull.
And then, in one tired misjudgement by defender Andrew Robertson, the game was gone.
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