Tielemans and Santos Debut as United Open Season at Sold-Out Hull

Manchester United kicked off their 2026/27 Premier League campaign away at Hull City on 22 August 2026, with two new midfielders making their competitive debuts and a familiar face back on the bench after nearly two years away from the picture.

Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos both started for United at the MKM Stadium, where kick-off was scheduled for 12:30pm. Bryan Mbeumo began on the right wing and Matheus Cunha led the line. Hull, managed by Sergej Jakirovic, were playing their first top-flight match after promotion — they had finished 26th in the English league pyramid last season, a position that reflects a club climbing back from the lower reaches before earning their Premier League return. The match sold out in record time after tickets went on sale on 4 August Hull City. The official matchday programme also returned for the new season Hull City.

Michael Carrick, now United's manager, had reason to want a clean start. The weekend before this match, United lost 4-2 to AC Milan in a pre-season friendly at the Tarczyński Arena, conceding three goals in 15 minutes. Milan's manager that day was Ruben Amorim — the man who previously occupied Carrick's seat and whose United tenure included a League Cup exit on penalties to Grimsby, a defeat that began with a 2-0 deficit on the east coast.

Marcus Rashford was named among the substitutes, wearing the No 9 shirt. It was roughly 20 months after Amorim had interrupted his United career, and his presence on the bench — rather than in the starting XI — was one of the more striking selections. Benjamin Sesko also took a place on the bench after recovering from a slow-healing shin injury, giving Carrick a forward option if needed The Guardian.

Hull, for their part, had been busy strengthening. The club signed Australian defender Lucas Herrington from MLS side Colorado Rapids on 12 August, adding a piece to Jakirovic's squad ahead of a season that will test every inch of their top-flight credentials Hull City.

United finished third in the Premier League last season. Carrick will want his new-look midfield — Tielemans bringing his composure on the ball, Santos the Brazilian's industry — to set a tone quickly after a pre-season that ended with defensive alarm bells ringing against Milan. For Hull, a sold-out MKM Stadium and the return of top-flight football to East Yorkshire was the story before a ball was even kicked.