AFCON 2025
Manchester United’s start to the 2026-27 Premier League season fell apart at the MKM Stadium on Saturday, as promoted side Hull City stunned Michael Carrick’s men 2-0 in what will go down as the upset of the openiing week.
Hull, back in the top flight after a decade away, played with a boldness that caught United cold. The Tigers absorbed early pressure and then struck through defensive frailty that has dogged the Red Devils before. Ryan Giles’s dangerous cross forced Senne Lammens into a smart save from Oli McBurnie, and Hull broke the deadlock soon after. McBurnie’s close-range effort came off a flicked-on corner, and though Lammens turned the shot onto the post, Semi Ajayi reacted quickest to bundle home the rebound.
The hosts doubled their advantage in the 38th minute. Nobel Mendy turned in Regan Slater’s whipped free-kick to send Hull into the break with a commanding 2-0 lead, leaving Carrick’s side to pick apart a sluggish opening 45 minutes.
United dominated the ball after the restart but could not translate possession into meaningful chances. Cody Drameh almost put the game further out of reach for Hull, dragging an effort just wide, while goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis produced the save of the afternoon to deny Bryan Mbeumo one-on-one after the Cameroon forward broke clear. A late United push yielded nothing, and Sergej Jakirovic’s side held firm to secure a famous opening-day win.
The defeat is an early setback for Carrick, who took permanent charge of United after replacing Ruben Amorim and had been targeting a fast start following last season’s third-place finish.
For Hull, the win vindicates Jakirovic’s overhaul of a squad that brought in eleven new signings over the summer despite a modest 2025-26 Championship campaign. It also silences some of the doubts raised publicly by pundits Joe Cole and Michael Owen, who had questioned whether the Tigers belonged in the Premier League at all.
Carrick’s side will look to respond quickly when they host fellow promoted club Ipswich Town at Old Trafford on August 30, while Hull turn their attention to a Carabao Cup tie against Stoke City before their next league test.
