Hull City stun Manchester United 2-0 on Premier League return

Hull City marked their return to the Premier League with a 2-0 home victory over Manchester United on Saturday, ending a 52-year wait for a league win against the club. Defenders Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scored in the first half as the newly promoted side began its season with an upset, BBC Sport reported.

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Ajayi opened the scoring after Oli McBurnie's attempt was pushed onto the post, leaving the Nigeria international to convert the opportunity. Mendy, one of Hull's summer recruits, then headed in a free-kick delivered by Regan Slater to double the advantage before the interval. Hull protected the lead and completed a clean sheet against a United side that finished third last season.

The fixture was Hull's first Premier League game in nine years. Their previous appearance in the competition ended with a 7-1 home defeat by Tottenham in May 2017. The club returned through last season's Championship play-offs, having reached the postseason on the final day before beating Millwall and then Middlesbrough 1-0 in the final.

Hull entered the new campaign widely regarded as a relegation candidate, but manager Sergej Jakirovic said his team was focused on challenging those expectations. He described the result as a useful foundation while emphasizing that 37 league games remain. Ajayi likewise said one result would not settle the wider debate and that the squad needed to keep producing performances of the same standard.

The promoted side combined several established players with summer arrivals. BBC Sport reported that only three of Hull's 11 new signings started: goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis, defender Mendy and winger Elliot Stroud. Slater, whose set-piece created the second goal, first joined Hull on loan when the club was in League One before completing a permanent move from Sheffield United.

Jakirovic also suggested the victory could help Hull in its remaining transfer business before the window closes. For Manchester United, the result was a sharp reversal of preseason expectations after last season's third-place finish. Hull, meanwhile, collected three points immediately and delivered an early demonstration that its home matches could be central to its attempt to remain in the Premier League.