Hull City 2-0 Manchester United: result and report

Report

Hull City beat Manchester United 2-0, a result that went firmly against expectation. The way it happened matters more than the scoreline. United had most of the ball and most of the shots, while Hull took the moments that decided the game.

Semi Ajayi opened the scoring on 17 minutes. Nobel Mendy doubled the lead on 38 minutes, finishing a move set up by Regan Slater.

Both goals came before half-time, so Hull spent the rest of the match protecting a two-goal lead rather than chasing one. United never found a way back despite having the whole second half to do it.

Manchester United: plenty of the ball, too little end product

United finished with 72% possession, 13 shots to Hull's seven and 19 key passes to five. Their xG of 2.19 was more than double Hull's 0.99, and they kept Hull pinned back for long spells.

Still, only five of those shots hit the target, and United missed both of their big chances. Hull made five saves to United's two. Konstantinos Tzolakis was named player of the match, which fits a game in which Hull had to soak up a lot of pressure.

Hull City: fewer chances, but sharper ones

There is a counter-point to the volume story. Hull created three big chances to United's two, and they also hit the woodwork.

So while the xG suggests United did enough to score, Hull's best openings were arguably the clearest of the match. They turned 0.99 xG into two goals because they were sharp when it counted, and United were not.