Hull City defy early expectations by doing the simple things correctly

The obituaries were in full swing for Hull City before a ball was kicked in the 2026/27 Premier League season. Some went as far as backing Hull to even break Derby County’s infamous record of having the fewest points in a PL season. 

As things stand, Hull City have been defying expectations in stunning fashion. An unbeaten start to the season has seen them climb to fourth place in the league table. The fact that this start has arrived on the back of beating Manchester United and drawing against Chelsea makes it all the sweeter for the Tigers.

So how have Hull City managed to coax out such a great start to their season?

For this, we have to rewind back two seasons, when Hull were facing relegation from the Championship and needed a win on the final day of the season to stay safe. And while they managed only a draw, other results going in their favour meant that they stayed up on goal difference. 

And even though they secured promotion to the Premier League last season, they were comfortably the poorest side in the top six both because of their inability to score goals and concede them for fun. So, the expectations from them this season had numerical and logical backing.

However, Hull have exceeded expectations by keeping things simple and performing them to perfection. Under head coach Sergej Jakirovic, they play with an identity that has been pretty much the same as last season, which begins from the players in the side.

Despite a summer outlay by club owner Acun Ilicali that saw the club sign 18 players, spending £150 million in the process, the club have not lost faith in the core group of players that have brought them to the Premier League. The biggest example of this was in the game against Chelsea, where eight of the starting XI were part of Hull’s promotion-clinching side from last term.

They do not have a problem when they do not have the ball. In fact, they are more than happy to concede the ball to their opponents for large swathes of the game. Their 29.6% average possession is comfortably the lowest in the division. But it does not bother Hull one bit, because they are used to this way of playing. They are just utilising a much more extreme version of the same style.

This continuity is also a very prevalent fixture in the way they attack as a team as well. The focus is on direct and vertical football, with big Ollie McBurnie being the focal point of their attacks with his excellent hold-up play, which allows the midfielders to attack and win those second balls. The ball is then funnelled to the wingbacks, who are not only willing runners stretching the field of play, but also capable of whipping crosses into the box.

Jakirovic and his continuity have been excellent for Hull. They have kept three clean sheets in four games, and their 5-4-1 formation has been a constant since their first outing, giving them the best chance to achieve the desired outcome.

While this has indeed been a very good start for Hull, everyone involved with the club knows that there is still a long way to go. Hull have had good starts to seasons in the Premier League before as well. They were third in 2008/09 after nine games but avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth, surviving by just 1 point. In 2016/17, they started well again, only to get relegated.

So while the job is not finished, Hull know that they have the springboard from which they can jump to a better position in the league and not just survive. For now, they can take pride in the start that they have had, exceeding expectations and going about their business in their own merry way.