Xherdan Shaqiri scored a pair of sensational goals to earn Stoke City a 2-0 victory over struggling Hull City, who slipped into to the Premier League's bottom three with defeat in front of a sparse crowd at the KCOM Stadium.
Switzerland international Shaqiri was instrumental in Stoke winning successive Premier League matches for the first time since March with a brilliant display, suggesting the Potters' sluggish start to the season may be behind them.
The former Inter winger picked out the top corner with a 25-yard stunner in the 26th minute to put Mark Hughes' team, unchanged from their first top-flight win in eight against Sunderland last weekend, on the path to victory.
Marko Arnautovic was unable to make the most of the Swiss' creativity to add to the scoreline on two occasions, but there was no danger of them surrendering the three points that lift them out of the drop zone.
Hull had an appeal for a penalty correctly ignored by referee Kevin Friend when Will Keane's powerful shot was unintentionally handled by Ryan Shawcross, and, after Keane failed to find the target with a 22nd minute header, they were soon behind.
It could have been two in the 29th minute but Arnautovic was unable to supply the finishing touch to Shaqiri's exceptional pass, his stabbed shot saved by David Marshall before the rebound went behind off Dawson.
Stoke's second came just five minutes after the restart, when the hosts' inability to clear the ball resulted in Curtis Davies sending Shaqiri to ground 20 yards out.
Shaqiri took the resultant free-kick himself, bending a brilliant effort over the wall and inside the bottom-right corner to Marshall's dismay.
