Hull, August 22: Hull City made a stunning return to the Premier League after a decade, defeating Manchester United 2-0 on Saturday. The Tigers, playing in England’s top football league for the first time since the 2016-17 season, triumphed at MKM Stadium thanks to goals from Semi Ajayi and record signing Nampalys Mendy.
Ajayi opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a close-range goal following a corner kick. The team’s joy doubled when Mendy, making his debut, scored in the 38th minute from another set-piece, assisted by Regan Slater. The Senegalese defender’s goal dealt a significant blow to the Red Devils.
Marcus Rashford, returning from a loan at Barcelona, boosted the team’s morale by wearing the ‘number 9’ shirt. However, the England international started on the bench and only entered the game after his team was trailing 0-2, but he could not turn the tide.
Few expected Hull to perform well, especially after narrowly avoiding relegation from the Championship in the 2024-25 season by goal difference. However, their impressive performance in the 2025-26 Championship led to a playoff final victory against Middlesbrough earlier this year.
Defender Ajayi expressed his excitement about the historic win in an interview with TNT Sports, stating, “Yes, it was amazing. It made our great start even more special. We had a few chances before that we couldn’t capitalize on, but that goal gave us the lead and the opportunity to defend and push forward. So, I was very excited about that goal that put us on the path to victory and secured three points.”
This defeat raises questions about the Red Devils and their preparations for the Premier League. Their last English title came in the 2012-13 season under Sir Alex Ferguson. Following recent poor performances, they have much work to do if they are to challenge current champions Arsenal and Manchester City for the title.
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