- Hull City marked their return to the Premier League after a nine-year absence with a deserved 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Saturday, puncturing the optimism surrounding Michael Carrick's side after last season's revival.
- Semi Ajayi scored the opening goal in the 17th minute, turning home a rebound after Oli McBurnie's effort was parried by goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
- Nobel Mendy added a second goal for Hull City with a header from a Regan Slater free kick seven minutes before halftime.
- Manchester United struggled to respond, with Marcus Rashford showing flashes as a substitute but failing to create clear chances.
- Hull City sealed a first-ever top-flight win over Manchester United, with the final score being 2-0.
- Michael Carrick had previously galvanised a confidence-starved squad last season, leading them to a third-place finish after replacing Ruben Amorim in January.
- Manchester United had never lost to a newly promoted side in a season opener before this match.
- Bruno Fernandes expressed concerns about the team's pressing issues, stating they gave too much of the ball to Hull City.
- Wayne Rooney commented on United's performance, noting they didn't create many chances against Hull City.
Hull City marked their return to the Premier League with a stunning 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Saturday, ending a nine-year absence from the top flight. The match saw Hull dominate from the outset, with Semi Ajayi scoring the opener in the 17th minute after a corner kick rebound.12457
Hull's second goal came just before halftime when Nobel Mendy powered a header home from a Regan Slater free kick, sending the home crowd into raptures. Despite having 72% possession, United struggled to create clear chances, with Marcus Rashford only showing flashes of promise as a substitute.3
Former United striker Wayne Rooney noted, "They didn't create much, which was the biggest worry," while Alan Shearer pointed to fitness issues, stating, "They didn't look fit, they didn't look ready to play 90 minutes of intense, high pressure, high-energy football."9
Skipper Bruno Fernandes echoed concerns about the team's pressing, saying, "We give too much of the ball to them... we need to press a little bit more, be more aggressive." Hull's manager, Sergej Jakirovic, had identified set-pieces as a key area to exploit, which proved successful.8
Carrick, who led United to a third-place finish last season, acknowledged the defeat's impact but insisted, "It doesn't mean everything's wrong. It doesn't make me do things differently." United will next face another newly promoted team, Ipswich, at Old Trafford on August 30.
“Hull City's set-piece dominance proved decisive, with Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scoring from corners and free kicks. United's midfield trio of Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, and Bruno Fernandes was overrun, and Carlos Baleba's £70m arrival can't come soon enough.”
BBC
