Hull City failed to read the script on Saturday and marked their return to the Premier League with a superb, well-deserved 2-0 win over Manchester United.
For many Fantasy managers, it was a grim 90 minutes, as triple-ups on the Red Devils spectacularly failed to pay dividends.
Here are our Scout Notes.
£4.0M DEFENDERS HAUL…
Above image from our Stats Centre page
While most of us were looking at £4.0m defenders from Sunderland, Ipswich Town and Coventry City for a Gameweek 1/2 Bench Boost, Hull’s contingent defied clean sheet odds of 13% to haul.
And it wasn’t just a shut-out but goals and defensive contribution (DefCon) points, too.
Semi Ajayi (£4.0m) and Nobel Mendy (£4.0m) both netted from set plays, while Mendy and John Egan (£4.0m) hit the DefCon threshold. Ajayi might have followed had he not been subbed off, while the reinforcements off the bench racked up the contributions at a furious rate, too:
Above image from our DefCon page
Even the goalkeeper, Konstantinos Tzolakis (£4.5m), got in on the act. Helped by five saves and 22 ‘recoveries’ (ie lots of claims), he scooped maximum bonus.
The Tigers, sent out in a 3-4-3 after a pre-season of 4-2-3-1 set-ups, utterly frustrated United, who were reduced to just two Opta-defined ‘big chances’. Even one of those was a cross that Patrick Dorgu (£6.0m) didn’t react to and barely touched.
Was this a one-off inspired by the carnival occasion, an impressively solid defensive display at odds with last season’s numbers? Time, and maybe next week’s clash with fellow new boys Coventry, will tell.
First, though, they have to assess the walking wounded…
…BUT INJURIES TAKE THE GLOSS OFF
A spanner in the works could be injuries. Four of the back five came off, with Egan the last man standing.
Sergej Jakirovic gave updates on Ajaji, Mendy, Ryan Giles (£4.0m) and Lewie Coyle (£4.0m) after full-time.
“We had four substitutions in the defensive line. I don’t know. After the medical check, I will know much more, but right now, I don’t know.
“Semi is complaining about his hamstring and Nobel about his adductor. Maybe we will bring some new players again! We have 10 days to go, so we will see. It depends on their problems.
“Coyle always with his ankle, so that is normal.” – Sergej Jakirovic in his post-match presser
“Coyle had some problems with ankle. Semi felt his hamstring, we will see how serious. Mendy had problems already on Thursday but after a medical check, it was nothing. And today, I think it’s more fatigue for Mendy. I’m worried about Semi. Maybe something serious.” – Sergej Jakirovic to Hull’s in-house media
“Giles struggled a bit with his calf.” – Sergej Jakirovic to BBC Radio Humberside
Hull have a midweek EFL Cup tie to come this week, so we’ll hopefully get another update before or after that clash with Stoke City.
£4.5M MIDFIELDER “FIRST CHOICE”
It wasn’t just the bargain-bin defenders impressing.
Regan Slater and Matt Crooks are the only two £4.5m midfielders to start in Gameweek 1 so far, and the former bagged an assist from a free-kick.
While Hull have signed (four!) other central midfielders this summer, and more could follow, there were some encouraging words from Jakirovic on Slater after the game.
“When I arrived here, Regan Slater was not a first-team player. I think he came on against Preston at home at half-time. He completely turned the game, and since then, he’s been a first XI player. He’s my first choice, always, and I like him a lot because every training session and every game, he’s 100 per cent.” – Sergej Jakirovic
MCBURNIE SUPERB – BUT COMPETITION TO ARRIVE
Mc Burnie bossing through the Man Utd Midfield 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/SbxKzk14ia
— Robbens (@RobbensUtd) August 22, 2026
Oli McBurnie (£5.5m) was right in the mix for a hotly contested Man of the Match award.
He was a menace from crosses and corners, going close to scoring on two occasions. He at least claimed an assist after the second of those, when Ajayi slammed in the rebound from McBurnie’s saved effort.
He’s got a clean run at the striker’s role at present, with zero competition up top. It doesn’t sound like that will last much longer.
“We will bring two strikers, two wingers, maybe two midfielders – it depends on now these problems what we had in the game with injuries.” – Sergej Jakirovic on his club’s transfer plans
Still, repeats of this performance and whoever’s coming in will be watching from the sidelines.
UNITED ABJECT
We’ve covered the good – now the bad and the ugly.
The concerns raised by Manchester United’s defeat to Milan last weekend – players looking unfit, the defence shaky, the central midfield bypassed all too easily – were in evidence again. More alarming, however, was the complete dearth of creativity; their xG of 1.81 feels very flattering.
The double pivot of Youri Tielemans (£6.0m) and Andrey Santos (£5.0m) got a lot of (just) criticism but few Red Devils emerged with credit.
The positive straws to grasp at? Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) twice could easily have scored, forcing Tzolakis into two saves – the second from a one-on-one. Harry Maguire (£5.0m), who strode forward on more than one occasion, should have had an assist with a fine cross for Dorgu. A sluggish Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) and Luke Shaw (£4.5m) created seven chances between them, albeit with expected assists (xA) tallies of just 0.26 each. Benjamin Sesko (£6.5m) marked his return from injury with a substitute’s appearance, too.
But many of us will be holding our United players not because of what we saw on Saturday, but in spite of it. Instead, it’s the (supposedly) favourable Gameweek 2 fixture that’s likely to prevent a mass exodus:
Above: United are top for clean sheet odds (right) and projected goals (left) in Gameweek 2
“Obviously, the first home game will be massive for us, and even more now that we didn’t win the game away at Hull City.” – Bruno Fernandes to MUTV
AMAD INJURY UPDATE
Mbeumo and Dorgu got the nod out wide in this game, with Matheus Cunha (£8.0m) up top. Dorgu, who had three first-half shots, made way for Marcus Rashford (£7.0m) at half-time.
Carrick’s decision to start those three was made easier by Amad Diallo‘s (£6.0m) unexpected absence.
“He just picked up a niggle right at the end of the week, in training. We’ll assess that and see where he’s at. Hopefully, it won’t be too long but we’ll have to wait and see. He was in a good place, Amad.” – Michael Carrick on Amad Diallo, to MUTV
