9 hours ago
12
Key events
So, to the table. Early doors of course, but Hull are second, trailing Arsenal only on goal difference. And Man United are 19th, with only Coventry saving them from the wooden spoon.
The first interview is with Lewie Coyle – Hull’s captain, local hero and impressive right wing-back. “This team’s got resilience,” he says. “We know what we’re doing when we’re in that sort of low block. The gaffer’s got us well drilled... But it’s a collective thing.” That’s true: the Player of the Match award should really go to the whole Hull team.
Leeds, Milan, now Hull: Carrick’s United just can’t cope with a back five. But it wasn’t just the formation. Hull won the duels, showed the hunger, took the chances, and deserved the spoils.
The PA plays Rocking All Over The World. But this wasn’t the status quo: it was a hell of an upset. Before the game, the Opta algorithm gave Hull only an 11pc chance of a win today.
FULL TIME: Hull 2-0 Man United
They’ve done it! What a great result.
90+5 min Hull’s owner, Acun Ilicali, gets a kiss from his companion as the ball pings about in midfield. Millar, hoping for a free kick on the right wing, finds the whistle going against him, but it’s too late to make a difference.
90+4 min Is it safe to announce that Hull have won? United have had a lot of the ball, but hardly any momentum.
90+3 min Rashford’s chipped cross reaches Sesko, whose header is half-blocked, before bobbling kindly for Tzolakis. I suspect Rashford and Sesko will make hay together some time, but not today.
90+2 min “We’re going to win the league,” sing the home fans. As things stand, they’re second.
90+1 min A little through ball from Mainoo goes to … nobody.
90 min Yes, it’s six more mins. You wouldn’t back United to do much with them.
89 min Lacey is playing on the right, not in the hole, where Mbeumo now finds himself in his third different role of the day. Rumours of six added minutes. Where’s Scott McTominay when they need him?
87 min Shaw’s latest cross is safely held by Tzolakis, via a neat chest-down.
85 min Final sub for Hull: Matt Targett, who played against them in the play-off final, replaces the excellent Ryan Giles at left wing-back.
85 min Maguire shoots, hopefully, and Tzolakis saves, easily. If Hull win, as they surely will now, it’ll be the first time they’ve beaten United in the league since 1974.
83 min Rashford does well, showing graft as well as guile, and teeing up Mainoo … whose shot is blocked.
81 min Yet more crosses from United. One from Rashford just about finds Sesko, but the resulting corner yields nothing. And one from Fernandes, too close to Tzolakis.
80 min United are risking a third goal here, as they have to, and Hull sniff it until Maguire, haring back from inside-left, manages to clear.
79 min Michael Carrick plays his final cards: Dalot for Mazraoui at right-back and young Shea Lacey for Cunha as the No 10.
78 min Proper chance for United! Cunha sends a through ball to Mbeumo, whose low shot is well saved by the excellent Tzolakis. Players beginning with Tz- seem to be very good this season.
76 min Maguire, almost playing as an extra striker, is offside. United have had 14 shots, apparently, but none of them very threatening.
74 min Mazraoui feeds Mbeumo, whose shot sails over the bar.
74 min Rashford does some fancy footwork and tees up Fernandes, whose cross is a wild one. He’s been out of sorts.
73 min Chance for Hull! Drameh, on the right, hits a low shot that just eludes the post and the two teammates following up.
71 min A couple more crosses from United, aimed at Sesko but easily cleared by Hull.
70 min Two more subs for Hull: Lewis Coyle, the captain, gives way to Cody Drameh after giving his all as the right wing-back. At inside right, Elliot Stroud is replaced by Liam Millar.
67 min Two more United subs: Kobbie Mainoo for Tielemans, and Benjamin Sesko for Andrey Santos, so it’s all change in the pivot and either Bruno Fernandes is going back there or Mainoo is on his own and it’s 4-1-4-1. United could have done with Sesko in the past ten minutes, for Shaw to aim at with his crosses.
67 min Shaw’s cross finds Mbeumo, who can only shoot wide.
65 min The Shaw-Rashford axis supplies Cunha, whose shot is well blocked. Like so many today.
63 min First sub for Hull. Mendy, who scored the second goal, looks as if he may have pulled a muscle. He’s replaced by another new signing, Lucas Herrington, who is 18 but has played in the World Cup, for Australia. Paddy McNair is on too, in his own derby, replacing Ajayi. So both the goalscorers have left the stage.
61 min Hull’s turn to go on the attack. Giles’ cross is cleared by Maguire, but eventually a shot flies in from Belloumi, which goes just over the bar.
60 min As the hourglass tips over, the home fans are singing and waving flags. Tielemans plays a nice reverse pass through to Rashford, who can’t quite keep it out of Tzolakis’ hands.
59 min McBurnie goes on a cruise through midfield, and Shaw is needed again to snuff out the danger.
57 min Rashford is on manoeuvres again, until Tzolakis comes out to claim the ball. Rashford has already added something, but United still aren’t creating clear chances.
55 min Shaw saves the day at the back as Hull threaten to break, then gets forward on the overlap to receive Rashford’s pass and win a corner. But United, who scored 22 goals from set pieces last season, have done nothing with them today except concede.
54 min A pass inside from Mbeumo, a dummy from Fernandes – and there’s nobody there to shoot! That rather sums up United’s day.
52 min Rashford, racing after a chip, can’t get on the end of it because the ball lands in the safe hands of Tzolakis.
50 min Maguire gets some touches in the Hull box – a cross that brings a corner, then a header that doesn’t quite find an ivory shirt. Slightly better from United.
49 min Shaw, tidying up on the left, passes to Rashford, who has his first touch and his first dribble, and wins his first free kick. Nothing comes of it, but the Shaw-Rashford relationship was always a good one and it needs to spark now.
48 min Mbeumo squeezes in a shot but the flag is up in any case. United, by the way, have lost 18 of the last 19 PL games in which they’ve gone 2-0 down.
48 min Cunha, who was too deep as the striker, wins a free kick now.
46 min Another change for United: Cunha to the right, and Mbeumo to the middle, where he started most of the pre-season games.
Carrick sends on Rashford
Here comes Marcus Rashford, wearing a United shirt for the first time in the Premier League since December 2024. He replaces Dorgu on the left wing.
In the mailbox, there seems to be the odd disgruntled United fan. “This has been some rubbish so far from United,” says Matan. “Again, what are we doing with a back four of Shaw, Maguire, Heaven, and Mazraoui? The lineup is crying out for Lisandro Martinez, who I assume can’t go 90 yet. And probably Leny Yoro as well. And maybe also Diogo Dalot…”
“So,” says Chris Blunt, “considering your withering tales about Amorim (you were not wrong btw), who gets the blame for this omnishambles?” Well, the buck always stops with the boss, but Carrick has a lot of credit in the bank.
The cameras find Marcus Rashford, going through an energetic warm-up.
“It’s been much more than set pieces,” says Owen Hargreaves, who knows a bit about playing for United. “Hull have won every second ball… United haven’t played poorly, but Hull have been more aggressive.”
HALF-TIME! Hull 2-0 Man United
The scoreline of Hull’s dreams, and they deserve it. Goals from two set pieces, both scored by centre-backs, have got the MKM Stadium rocking.
United, meanwhile, have conceded five goals without scoring one since they were 2-1 up against AC Milan last weekend. Michael Carrick may need to make some changes much earlier than he usually does.
45+1 min The first of two added minutes. Cunha tees up Fernandes, whose curled shot is well blocked.
45 min Another half-chance for Dorgu, who heads well wide. There’s a pattern to United’s moves – started by Maguire, finished or not by Dorgu. You wonder if this is a policy from Hull, to keep the ball away from the real danger man, Fernandes. If so, it’s working a treat.
44 min Fernandes takes a neat touch on the right wing, but again the cross is easily cleared.
43 min The first yellow card for Hull goes to Matt Crooks, not sure what for.
41 min United manage some possession, but the move peters out when Dorgu makes the wrong choice in the box. Then Mbeumo gets to the byline, only for his cross to be hoofed away.
40 min Football, bloody Hull.
GOAL!!!! Hull 2-0 Man United (Mendy 38)
They’ve done it again! Another set piece, another ball whipped in, and again it’s a Hull defender who’s first to the ball – Nobel Mendy, on his debut.
37 min As Hull bustle forward, Tielemans gives away a free kick in a dangerous zone.
35 min Chance for United: a cross from Shaw leads to a bicycle kick from Mbeumo, sweetly struck but easily saved. The resulting corner is well held by Tzolakis, who is making a confident debut.
34 min The first yellow card goes to Dorgu. That might lead to more minutes for the only left-winger in United’s squad, a fellow named Rashford.
