Hull City record their first ever top-flight victory against the Old Trafford club after Semi Ajayi gave them the lead.
Manchester United who arrived at Hull with genuine confidence after finishing third under Michael Carrick last season to qualify for the Champions League, boosted further by a productive summer transfer window.
Sergej Jakirovic’s Tigers, promoted through the play-offs, had very different plans — and they executed them with the composure and physical intensity of a team that had spent the entire off-season preparing precisely for moments like this one.
The opening goal came from defender Semi Ajayi, who lashed in after Oli McBurnie’s initial effort cannoned off the post following a save from United goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
The opening goal came from defender Semi Ajayi, who lashed in after Oli McBurnie’s initial effort cannoned off the post following a save from United goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
The manner of the goal — built on aggression, second-ball awareness, and the willingness to chase a rebound — captured exactly the spirit Hull brought to the afternoon.
The second was more composed and equally significant: club-record signing Nobel Mendy, making his debut, rose to meet Regan Slater’s free-kick delivery and headed in emphatically to seal the result and send the home support into scenes of genuine disbelief and delight.
Mendy’s goal on his very first appearance vindicated the faith the club placed in him during the summer and gave Jakirovic a statement result in his opening match of the top-flight campaign.
Hull City beat Manchester United Premier League with goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis providing a solid foundation across 90 minutes, making five saves including a sharp stop to deny Bryan Mbeumo late in the game when United pushed for a route back into the contest.
Hull City beat Manchester United Premier League with goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis providing a solid foundation across 90 minutes, making five saves including a sharp stop to deny Bryan Mbeumo late in the game when United pushed for a route back into the contest.
United never truly threatened to overturn the deficit, and their inability to fashion sustained pressure against a promoted side on their own ground will be a concern for Carrick as he reflects on how the season opened.
The visitors came in having been praised for rebuilding momentum in 2025-26, but Hull exposed both their defensive vulnerability to set pieces and their failure to impose the dominance their squad depth should have allowed from the first minute.
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