Hull City beat Manchester United 2-0 at MKM Stadium in Premier League opener

Hull City defeated Manchester United 2-0 at the MKM Stadium in the opening game of the Premier League 2026-27 campaign, taking an early lead and adding a second before halftime while Manchester United had the bulk of possession but failed to score.

The result came as Hull, newly promoted and managed by Sergej Jakirović, returned to the top flight after almost 10 years and produced an energetic display that overwhelmed one of England’s biggest clubs. Michael Carrick’s Manchester United side conceded an early advantage and must address issues after a performance the article described as not the start they wanted. The report noted that United had lost only two away games all of last season but still stumbled in this opening fixture at the MKM Stadium.

Hull’s defence held firm to record a clean sheet, with the backline described as having passed a stern test against sustained Manchester United pressure. The visitors created chances with possession but were repeatedly repelled, and Hull converted the opportunities they were afforded to secure the win.

Konstantinos Tzolakis, the newly signed goalkeeper, was singled out as calm and composed throughout United’s attacks and was said to have impressed on his Premier League debut for the club. The coverage called his start a dream debut and added that the strong backline supported his performance.

Manchester United’s midfield was reported to have struggled to control transitions, leaving the defence exposed at times and contributing to a disjointed showing in the final third. Youri Telemans and Andrey Santos made their first appearances in Manchester United colours but, according to the report, failed to dictate the tempo and left the backline vulnerable on multiple occasions.

Michael Carrick’s first-choice attacking trio for the match — Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbuemo and Patrick Dorgu — were unable to breach Hull’s defence. At half-time Marcus Rashford was introduced but was described as ineffective, while Benjamin Sesko, who came off the bench later, also failed to make an impact.

The coverage included a social-media line capturing the mood around Hull’s return: "Came through the back door. Left with three points. 🤪🚪 pic.twitter.com/H2HpiQFvl6" and added that the Tigers could hardly have dreamed of a better return to the Premier League after their promotion.

Michael Carrick was quoted after the game: “Some of it was okay, there's bits to improve on. It was never going to be perfect, but going behind and giving ourselves a lot to do makes it more difficult.It was a typical one of those games, with a newly-promoted team at home. You can't give them much,… pic.twitter.com/4mLFoTEWpS"

The Red Devils have dropped three points in their opening game of the Premier League 2026-27 season, a result the report said was not the start Manchester United were looking for.