Hull City Triumphs Over Manchester United: Player Ratings

Hull’s statement win over Manchester United was built on a series of individual performances that rarely dipped below excellent. United, by contrast, left the MKM Stadium with more questions than answers after a flat, muddled display.

Hull City player ratings

Konstantinos Tzolakis – 8
Some debuts drift by unnoticed. This one did not. Tzolakis produced a superb one-handed stop to claw away Bryan Mbeumo’s angled drive and commanded his box with real authority whenever high balls rained in. Assured, brave, and instantly at home.

Lewie Coyle (off 70) – 7
His early deep cross towards Oli McBurnie from the right wing-back area revealed Hull’s intent: stretch United wide, hit early, and be direct. He carried that threat down the flank and helped pin the visitors back.

Semi Ajayi (off 63) – 9
The defining presence at both ends. Rock-solid defensively, he read danger and dealt with it, then smashed home the rebound to give Hull the lead – his first Premier League goal since January 2021, when he scored for West Brom at Wolves. A towering performance.

John Egan – 8
Nominally the central figure in a back three, but he stepped into midfield whenever Hull had the ball and stitched play together. Switched between defender and auxiliary midfielder seamlessly and handled both roles with composure.

Ryan Giles (off 84) – 7
Relentless going forward, constantly offering width and delivery from the left. Just as importantly, he sprinted back into shape to make sure United could not exploit the spaces he left. Balanced his duties well.

Regan Slater – 7
His curling free-kick begged to be attacked and Nobel Mendy obliged for Hull’s second. Beyond that set-piece, he slotted into a hard-working midfield unit that out-fought and out-thought United.

Matt Crooks – 8
Owned the middle of the pitch. Crooks drove Hull on, won second balls, and kept standards high. His work rate never dipped, and he still found the legs for a powerful surge downfield that forced Senne Lammens into a hurried clearance. Quietly dominant.

Nobel Mendy (off 63) – 8
A debut to remember. He capped a strong all-round display with a goal from Slater’s free-kick, attacked the ball with conviction, and defended with equal clarity. Made the clearances that needed making and rarely looked flustered.

Mohamed Belloumi – 8
Calm, tidy, and clever. Belloumi’s short passing rarely went astray, allowing Hull to build attacks and maintain pressure. His composure on the ball slowed the game down in Hull’s favour whenever United threatened to quicken the tempo.

Oli McBurnie – 8
Did everything but score. United simply could not cope with his physicality and movement. He bullied defenders, especially Ayden Heaven, created chaos in the box, and his presence carved out space for team-mates to exploit.

Elliot Stroud (off 70) – 7
Fortunate to escape stronger punishment for a late early tackle on Harry Maguire that infuriated the United captain, but he settled impressively after that flashpoint. Grew into the game and contributed positively across the pitch.

Substitutes

Paddy McNair (on 63) – 6
Faced his former club and slotted in with a solid, no-frills defensive shift. Did what was required to see the game out.

Lucas Herrington (on 63) – 6
Came on with Hull increasingly playing on the counter. Held his position, stayed disciplined, and helped protect the lead.

Liam Millar (on 70) – 6
Injected late energy and led a promising breakaway that might have killed the contest, but couldn’t quite fashion a third goal.

Cody Drameh (on 70) – 6
Alert and sharp. His key intervention came when he nipped in ahead of Luke Shaw to stop a dangerous cross as United’s pressure grew.

Matt Targett (on 84) – 6
Introduced to shore things up in the closing stages. Slotted into the structure and helped Hull see the job through.

Subs not used: Dillion Phillips, Jens Hjertø-Dahl, Kieran Dowell, Lucas Gourna-Douath.

Manchester United player ratings

Senne Lammens – 7
The scoreline flatters no one in a United shirt, but Lammens can hold his head high. He made two strong saves before blocking McBurnie’s effort that eventually fell to Ajayi for the opener. One of the few visiting players to emerge with credit.

Noussair Mazraoui (off 80) – 5
Spent much of the afternoon drifting inside from the right, but without real menace. Offered little going forward and struggled badly when Hull surged at him in transition.

Harry Maguire – 6
Back in Hull, but there was no happy homecoming. He was broadly solid in his own actions yet could not lift or organise those around him into anything resembling a resilient unit.

Ayden Heaven – 5
A harsh lesson at this level. McBurnie overpowered him in the build-up to Hull’s opener, and the duel boiled over into an argument at half-time. His inexperience showed as Hull targeted his side.

Luke Shaw – 6
Hugged the touchline to give United an attacking outlet and combined neatly at times. The problem came when Hull broke; he was left with too much ground to cover defensively and could not plug all the gaps.

Andrey Santos (off 66) – 5
His competitive debut drifted by. Overrun by Hull’s midfield, he struggled to impose himself and never looked fully secure in possession.

Youri Tielemans (off 66) – 5
Produced the odd slick pass but fell into the trap of lofting hopeful balls into the Hull box, where United simply did not have the tools to compete. A flat, frustrating outing.

Bryan Mbeumo – 5
United’s brightest attacker in the first half, yet still short of his usual level. One angled effort forced that excellent Tzolakis save, another acrobatic attempt deflected wide. The threat faded as Hull tightened their grip.

Bruno Fernandes – 5
Endeavoured to spark something but never found the rhythm. Crucially, he rarely got himself into shooting positions and could not bend the game to his will.

Patrick Dorgu (off 46) – 4
Found pockets of space and received the ball in dangerous areas, but the final product deserted him. Booked, wasteful, and unable to maintain United’s attacking flow. His half-time withdrawal felt inevitable.

Matheus Cunha (off 80) – 5
Started as the nominal striker but repeatedly dropped into the No 10 role to seek space. That instinct left United without a true focal point up front, and Hull’s defenders were rarely forced into the kind of desperate defending that breaks shape.

Substitutes

Marcus Rashford (on 46) – 5
His first Manchester United appearance since December 2024 brought a flicker of anticipation. He immediately ran at the Hull defence but, without support or cohesion around him, never carved out a real chance.

Benjamin Sesko (on 66) – 5
At least gave United a more physical option and asked a different type of question of Hull’s back line, but the service into him was poor and his impact limited.

Kobbie Mainoo (on 66) – 5
Introduced to add control and tempo in midfield. Neither materialised. Hull’s grip in the centre remained firm.

Diogo Dalot (on 80) – 5
Came on late and could not alter the pattern. United were already chasing shadows.

Shea Lacey (on 80) – 5
Given a brief run-out but with the game slipping away, there was little chance to influence proceedings.

Subs not used: Karl Darlow, Lisandro Martinez, Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro.

Hull’s players walked off to a roar, their work etched across the scoreline and the performance. United’s walked towards a long, searching week.