Hull City Stun Manchester United 2-0 on Opening Day in First Top-Flight Win Over the Red Devils
Newly promoted Hull City beat Manchester United 2-0 on the opening day of the Premier League season, their first ever top-flight victory over the Red Devils. Goals from Ajayi in the 16th minute and Mendy in the 37th settled it before half-time, leaving Michael Carrick's side with nothing to show from their trip to East Yorkshire. (BBC Sport, AS)
The result ended a wait that stretched back to 1974 — the last time Hull beat United in any league meeting, when both clubs were in the Second Division. For the home fans packed into the MKM Stadium, it was a day to savour. (BBC Sport)
This was Carrick's first full term as United head coach, and the build-up had offered little warning of what was coming. A pre-season draw with Paris Saint-Germain had prompted the manager to say his side had "built and taken steps forward" through their warm-up matches. (Manchester United) The week before the Hull game, though, brought a defeat to AC Milan in Poland. (BBC Sport)
United's preparation was disrupted before a ball was kicked. Six of the starting line-up against Hull had only returned to training on 9 July, a condensed pre-season that left key players short of sharpness. (BBC Sport)
Carrick gave a post-match reaction to the defeat, but the sharpest assessment came from his captain. Bruno Fernandes said the team were repeating the same mistakes as last season in every away game — giving the ball away too cheaply, conceding from set-plays (dead-ball situations like corners and free-kicks), and failing to press aggressively enough. (BBC Sport, Yahoo Sports)
Across the dugout, Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic had spotted the very weakness Fernandes described. He said afterwards he had identified set-pieces as an area to attack in the build-up to the match. Two first-half goals from dead-ball situations proved him right. (BBC Sport)
There was a late lift for the 2,400 United fans who had made the long trip east. Marcus Rashford came on at half-time, his first appearance for the club since December 2024. (BBC Sport)
The travelling supporters' day got no easier after the final whistle. Two trains from Hull city centre station back to Manchester were cancelled during the second half, leaving many to find their own way home from a result they would rather forget. (BBC Sport)
