Two set pieces, two goals
The MKM Stadium had not seen Premier League action for a decade. Back in the top flight, Hull City beat Manchester United 2-0 this afternoon in the 2026-27 season opener. Both goals came from the same source: a badly defended dead-ball situation.
In the 17th minute, a Hull corner was flicked on at the near post towards Oli McBurnie. The Scotland striker’s effort was kept out on the line by Senne Lammens. The ball dropped in the six-yard box and Semi Ajayi poked it in. Twenty-one minutes later, Regan Slater whipped in a free-kick to the far post and Nobel Mendy diverted it beyond the Belgian keeper.
Sergej Jakirovic went with a 5-4-1 built for the counter, with Tzolakis in goal and Belloumi, Crooks, Slater and Stroud in midfield. In the end, the plan barely needed to kick in: Hull scored from their first two real openings.
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United had the ball, not the goals
Manchester United were hardly poor in possession. In the third minute, summer signing Youri Tielemans slipped a pass over the Hull defence for Bruno Fernandes, who had spun in behind the centre-backs. The Belgian quickly showed exactly why the club brought him in: a midfielder who can pick out his captain’s runs.
The problem sits elsewhere. Fernandes laid on 21 assists last season, a haul he probably won’t match, and United have leaned on that kind of individual output to paper over the cracks for too long. Out of possession, they looked casual, especially at set pieces. Twice, nobody tracked the runner at the back post.
A newly promoted side with no intention of making up the numbers
Hull City were not expected to be at this level. The club went up against the odds last season, and Jakirovic kept much of the squad that earned promotion while adding heavily in the summer. It was those players, not the newcomers, who turned the game.
For United, this was a nasty early-season reminder. The Red Devils have been here before at promoted grounds in recent years, and the script never seems to change: sterile possession, no marking on set plays. The fixture list will not show them much mercy.
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