HULL, England, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Hull City marked their return to the Premier League after a nine-year absence with a deserved 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Saturday, puncturing the optimism surrounding Michael Carrick's side after last season's revival.
"It's one game," Carrick told TNT Sports. "It's the first game of the season, so it's disappointing enough, and it hurts, of course it does.
"But it doesn't change direction all of a sudden, the whole course of what direction the team's going in, or the football club, and we'll stay calm and stay in the bubble and focus on next week."
The promoted side threatened United from the start and took the lead in the 17th minute when Semi Ajayi turned home a rebound after Oli McBurnie's effort from a corner had been parried by goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
Hull's dominance at set-pieces paid off again seven minutes before halftime. Regan Slater curled a free kick into the area and Nobel Mendy rose high to power a header beyond Lammens and send the MKM Stadium into raptures in their first league victory over United in 52 years.
"It was amazing," Ajayi told TNT. "It capped off a great start that we had had. I was buzzing to get the goal that got us on our way. We're not focused on outside noise, we back ourselves to do well."
United, who had never lost to a newly promoted side in a season opener, struggled to respond. Marcus Rashford, making his first appearance for the club since December 2024, showed flashes of promise as a second-half substitute, but Carrick's team found it difficult to create clear chances.
"We know in the Premier League these types of away grounds are difficult to play against," United captain Bruno Fernandes said. "You need to match their intensity and aggression. The two set-pieces ended up costing us the game today."
United had arrived with high expectations. Carrick had galvanised a confidence-starved squad last season after replacing Ruben Amorim in January, leading them to a third-place finish.
Bryan Mbeumo had United's best chance in the 78th minute, but his shot from a central area was saved by Konstantinos Tzolakis, who otherwise enjoyed a quiet afternoon as Hull's defence comfortably kept the visitors at bay.
"We understand the (fans') frustration," Fernandes said. "Every season at the start we want to compete and win every game but we need the fans on our side."
(Reporting by Lori Ewing in Manchester; Editing by Ed Osmond)
