Hull found the net twice through dead-ball situations to hand Manchester United a surprise opening-day loss at the MKM Stadium.
Hull’s head coach Sergej Jakirovic disclosed that his squad worked on set-pieces during Friday’s session after identifying United’s vulnerabilities when defending such situations. Despite entering as clear favourites against the recently-promoted club, United were largely outplayed throughout the encounter.
The hosts broke through after 17 minutes when a curled corner delivery found Oli McBurnie positioned at the far post. His initial effort was blocked, but Semi Ajayi reacted quickest to fire the rebound into the net.
The Tigers then doubled their advantage shortly after, this occasion stemming from a free-kick. Regan Slater delivered the ball into the area where Nobel Mendy rose highest to head past the goalkeeper and seal the victory.
United attempted to mount a comeback after the interval with Bryan Mbeumo creating a handful of chances, though the home side successfully limited their attacking threat and fully merited their three points. Following the final whistle, Jakirovic explained the tactical approach designed to expose United’s weaknesses. He noted that the squad had worked on specific scenarios during Friday’s preparation, particularly focusing on how United positioned themselves during wide free-kicks and the blocking strategies they employed.
Prior to this fixture, United had never suffered defeat to a newly-promoted team in their opening league match of the season, having secured ten victories and three draws in such circumstances.
Despite this historic setback, Michael Carrick maintained that his squad would not allow the outcome to affect their belief. He acknowledged that certain aspects of the performance were acceptable while others required refinement, stressing that perfection was never anticipated but falling behind early created unnecessary difficulty. Carrick also pointed out that against promoted sides at home, mistakes must be minimised, and while opportunities were created, the finishing touch was lacking. He expressed deep frustration with the result but emphasised that it would not undermine their confidence.
United now prepare to face another recently-promoted club in Ipswich Town next weekend as they seek to recover from this defeat.