Hull City marked their return to the Premier League with a surprise 2-0 home victory over Manchester United, strengthening manager Sergej Jakirovic’s claim that the side are determined to disprove widespread relegation predictions. The result matters because Hull had not played in the top flight for nine years and had been widely expected to struggle, while United had been tipped for a Champions League-place challenge.

Defenders Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scored first-half goals, giving Hull their first league win over United since 1974. Hull reached the Premier League through last season’s Championship play-offs after finishing sixth on goal difference, despite modest underlying statistics, and had only avoided relegation from the Championship on goal difference in 2025; Jakirovic stressed there are still 37 league games remaining.