Jules Ahoka Shines on Debut as Chemsdine Talbi Steals the Spotlight

Jules Ahoka stole the show on debut, Chemsdine Talbi supplied the moment of pure class, and a largely controlled team display eased past Hull on a night that quietly hinted at depth and promise.

Ellborg steady at the back

Melker Ellborg earned a 6/10, and that felt about right. He was rarely stretched, but when Hull finally tested him with a free kick, he read it early and pushed the effort wide with minimum fuss. A couple of hesitations when sweeping up behind his centre-backs invited unnecessary pressure, yet none of those slow reactions turned into genuine danger.

Full-backs shift and lock it down

Trai Hume’s evening told the story of a defender who can adapt without blinking. Starting at right-back and finishing on the left after Dayann Methalie went off, he barely broke stride. He took a 7/10, helped by his best attacking moment arriving from that unfamiliar flank: bursting forward after Malick Fofana’s neat work on halfway and whipping in a teasing cross.

Luke O’Nien, wearing the armband, had one of those heart-in-mouth episodes that can define a defender’s night. A clumsy early challenge could easily have brought a penalty, but he escaped and then settled. From there, his 6/10 reflected a game he largely cruised through.

Alongside him, Omar Alderete also landed on 6/10. Defensively, he did the dirty work, winning plenty in the air and holding his ground. On the ball, though, it was a mixed bag. A series of overhit crosses drifted harmlessly beyond the far post, and a late underhit pass to Hume invited a Hull counter that should never have developed.

Methalie, before his withdrawal, impressed. Aggressive, tight to his man, and rarely beaten in one-v-one duels, he took a deserved 7/10. There were nerves in possession before the interval, but after the break he grew into it, driving forward with conviction and hinting at a more expansive side to his game.

Ahoka runs the midfield on debut

In the middle, Jules Ahoka looked like he’d been there for years, not minutes. He walked away with a 9/10 and the Man of the Match award, and it was impossible to argue. On the ball, everything flowed through him. He dictated tempo, picked sharp passes through the centre, and sprayed diagonals out to the flanks with the confidence of a seasoned playmaker.

Without the ball, he was just as impressive. He read danger early, stepped into passing lanes, and seemed to pop up wherever a tackle or interception was needed. He even threatened a dream debut goal, rising to meet a corner and forcing the goalkeeper into a sharp, clawing save.

Alongside him, Chris Rigg earned a solid 7/10. He worked intelligently off Ahoka, often breaking down the right to link with Jocelin Ta Bi or lead the press. His set-piece moment came with a free kick in a promising position; he struck it cleanly but sent it comfortably over the bar.

Ta Bi’s night was split in two. Before the interval, he struggled to find the spaces where he does his best work, and when Rigg finally slid him in, he lashed his shot wildly over. That first half justified his 6/10. After the break, though, he became a nuisance. Hull’s defenders started dragging him down as he twisted away from them, and he won a string of free kicks by repeatedly turning them inside out.

Talbi’s chip lights it up

Chemsdine Talbi provided the game’s standout attacking moment and a constant source of trouble. Operating in the No 10 role, he looked right at home and walked off with an 8/10. His goal was pure composure on the break: timed run, calm finish, a cheeky chip over the advancing goalkeeper after being released by Thomas Meunier. It was the kind of finish that drains the tension out of a contest.

He didn’t stop there. Drifting into pockets on both sides of the pitch, he pulled Hull’s shape around and nearly doubled his tally when he cut inside on another break and forced a fine save.

Fofana, by contrast, took time to find his rhythm. For long spells it felt like a quiet 6/10 display, but once Methalie went off and Hume switched sides, the left flank suddenly came alive. Under pressure, Fofana’s close control stood out, and he threaded a lovely pass into Hume’s overlapping run. At the other end, his defensive header on the edge of his own box helped launch the move that led to the goal, giving him a subtle but important hand in the decisive moment.

Up front, Wilson Isidor ran the channels and chased lost causes, yet the clear-cut chance never really came. His 6/10 reflected a night of half-openings: a floated header just over the bar, a skewed effort wide, plenty of honest work but no finish to match it.

Bench impact and game management

From the bench, Meunier wasted no time. He stepped on, got his head up, and clipped the ball over the top for Talbi to race onto and score. That single, incisive contribution, on top of a composed cameo, earned him a 7/10.

Alan Browne came in as the side looked to close things down. His 6/10 told the story of secure, unfussy possession, helping the team see the game out without drama.

Timur Tutierov also took a 6/10. He thrashed one wild effort over from a tight angle, but his value came in giving the side an outlet on the counter, stretching Hull’s back line and buying time.

Tom Proctor matched that 6/10 with a lively shift. When the ball came his way he used it well, and off it he threw himself into the contest, pressing and competing in the duels that matter late on.

A debut that changes the picture

Talbi played like a man intent on making a statement, and his finish will stick in the memory. Yet this night belonged to Ahoka. On debut, he controlled the game, passed with purpose, and dominated both boxes in the air, even going close from a corner.

If this is his baseline, what does the midfield look like once he truly settles in?