Hull City marked their return to the Premier League with a stunning 2-0 victory over Manchester United, silencing critics who had tipped the Tigers for an immediate relegation battle. Goals from defenders Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy in the first half secured a result that many neutral observers did not see coming.
It was Hull's first league win over United since 1974, and their first top-flight fixture in nine years, having last featured in the Premier League when they were thrashed 7-1 by Tottenham Hotspur in May 2017. The Tigers only returned to the top division after finishing sixth in the Championship and winning the play-offs, edging out Wrexham on goal difference on the final day of the regular season before beating Millwall and then Middlesbrough 1-0 in the final.
Given the circumstances of their promotion — including having among the fewest shots for and facing among the most shots against in the entire division — many pundits predicted Hull would struggle to even match Derby County's record-low points tally of 11 from the 2007-08 season. That narrative was fuelled further this week when former Premier League players Joe Cole, Carlton Cole and Wayne Bridge mocked Hull's survival chances during a podcast appearance.
Manager Sergej Jakirovic, who became the first person from Bosnia-Herzegovina to manage in the Premier League, used the criticism as motivation. "We are trying to prove people wrong. I know there are 37 games to go but this is a good base for the future," he said after the match. He had earlier hit back at doubters, saying: "It's easy to say we will be 20th. If you are so convinced you can bet on it. Earn a lot of money or lose. Every prediction is against us. Even for me it is normal. I don't like to see this disrespect of worth against us."
Ajayi, who opened the scoring after Oli McBurnie's initial effort was tipped onto the post, echoed his manager's sentiments while urging caution. "It's just one game, I don't think we've shut everyone up yet," the Nigerian centre-back said. "We are here to prove something to ourselves. We aren't worried about the pressure from outside. We have to keep putting in performances like that and maybe people will stop sleeping on us."
Mendy doubled the lead by heading in a free-kick delivered by Regan Slater, a player who once represented Hull on loan from League One before signing permanently from Sheffield United for just £50,000. The mix of experienced squad members and summer arrivals impressed pundits watching the match. Former England captains Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer both praised Hull's discipline and organisation, with Rooney highlighting how the Tigers exploited weaknesses in United's defending of crosses into the box. Shearer went further, describing Hull as