Hull City delivered a stunning statement of intent as they beat Manchester United 2-0 in a match that exposed familiar frailties in Michael Carrick's side just as his first full season in charge got underway. Goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy secured a deserved victory for Sergey Jakirovic's team, who carried the momentum from their play-off final triumph over Middlesbrough straight into the top flight.
United looked disjointed from the outset, with only a handful of their outfield players appearing sharp. The midfield pairing of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, a combined £83m investment, struggled to cope with Hull's combative duo of Regan Slater and Matt Crooks, prompting the home side's Crooks to label United's engine room the "cheapest midfield two in the league." Both United midfielders were substituted together before the hour mark.
Once again, set-pieces proved United's undoing. Hull's opener came from a corner, converted by Ajayi, who was making his first top-flight goal contribution for the club since 2017 having joined on a free transfer during last summer's transfer embargo. The second arrived from a free kick, with £22m signing Nobel Mendy rising above Luke Shaw to head home from Slater's delivery.
Jakirovic revealed his team had specifically prepared for this aspect of the game. "We tried something on Friday. We had some plan there to try and punish them," he said, though he declined to elaborate further, adding with a smile that the approach remained "a secret."
Despite missing eight injured players, Hull's back line - featuring plenty of survivors from their Championship promotion campaign - defended resolutely to keep a clean sheet. Goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis, a £20m addition, made key saves either side of half-time to deny Bryan Mbeumo, who along with United's own goalkeeper Senne Lammens was one of the few visiting players to emerge with credit. Lammens produced two outstanding stops from Oli McBurnie in quick succession, though he could not prevent Ajayi pouncing on the rebound after pushing a shot onto the post.
McBurnie, the man who fired Hull to promotion via the play-offs in May, was again influential, setting up a further chance for substitute Cody Drameh that narrowly failed to extend the lead. Ryan Giles was officially named man of the match among a strong field of Hull candidates.
For United, the performance offered little to suggest improvement from struggles of the previous campaign. Matheus Cunha began as a makeshift striker but drifted out of dangerous areas, and it was not until Marcus Rashford's introduction from the bench - his first appearance for the club in 20 months - that United had a recognised forward on the pitch.
Captain Bruno Fernandes did not mince his words afterward, drawing an uncomfortable parallel with last season's issues. "Same mistakes as we did last season every away game," he said, a stark assessment of a team many had hoped would kick on under Carrick following a strong finish to the previous campaign.
Carrick, for his part, called the result "bitterly disappointing" but urged calm. "It won't knock us. It doesn't change the direction of where the football club is going; stay calm and in the bubble," he said, adding: "We have to soak it up and come back stronger."
For Jakirovic and Hull, the win offered vindication after a summer of persuading his squad they belonged among the Premier League's elite. "I had to convince my players that we are capable to play on this level," he said. Backed by investment from owner Acun Ilicali following last season's promotion, Hull look determined to prove their top-flight credentials are no fluke.
Based on reporting from The Independent.