Hull City marked their return to the English Premier League (EPL) with a statement 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Saturday, ending a 52-year wait for a league win over the Red Devils.
Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scored in the first half as Hull stunned United at the MKM Stadium and gave their supporters the kind of return to the top flight they could hardly have imagined.
Hull had not beaten Manchester United in a league game since 1974, but they ended that long wait in their very first Premier League game after returning to the division following a nine-year absence.
The hosts started with real intent and came close to taking the lead when Oliver McBurnie tested Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a header. Lammens responded well, making another important stop from McBurnie’s effort shortly afterwards and doing his best to keep United in the game.
But Hull’s pressure eventually told.
Ajayi opened the scoring in the 17th minute, reacting quickest after Lammens had saved McBurnie’s effort from close range following a Hull corner. The United goalkeeper had done his part, but the defence failed to deal with the rebound and Ajayi finished from close range.
Hull doubled their advantage in the 38th minute when Mendy headed home from a free-kick, leaving United with a mountain to climb before the interval. Both goals came from set-piece situations, exposing one of the biggest weaknesses in United’s performance on the day.
United had plenty of the ball but struggled to make it count.
Michael Carrick’s side finished with 72 per cent possession and 14 attempts, yet Hull’s defence remained difficult to break down. United managed five shots on target but could not find a way past Konstantinos Tzolakis, who produced a confident performance on his Premier League debut.
Lammens also deserves credit despite the defeat. The Belgian goalkeeper made several early saves that kept the scoreline respectable, including the effort that preceded Hull’s opener. He could do little about either goal after United’s defensive lapses left him exposed.
United tried to change the game after the break, with Marcus Rashford among the players introduced, but the visitors could not find the response needed to rescue the afternoon.
Hull, meanwhile, became increasingly comfortable as the game went on. They defended their lead, competed strongly in the duels and frustrated a United side that had plenty of possession but lacked the cutting edge in the final third.
For Hull, the result is much bigger than three points.
A newly promoted side beating Manchester United on the opening day is already a huge statement, but doing so while ending a 52-year league wait against one of England’s biggest clubs makes the occasion even more memorable.
It also gives manager Sergej Jakirovic’s side an early boost in what is expected to be a difficult fight for survival. Hull have immediately shown that their return to the Premier League is not going to be a quiet one.
