The 2026/27 English Premier League season delivered its first major sensation right in the opening round. One of the tournament's main favourites — Manchester United — suffered an unexpected collapse in an away match against Hull City, a club that had only just returned to the top flight. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the match result.
The favourite's opening collapse
On 22 August, in the first round of the Premier League, Hull City beat Manchester United 2-0 at home. Manchester United's starting lineup under Michael Carrick included the team's new signings Andre Santos and Youri Tielemans, and the visitors actually started the match in a more active manner. In particular, Bruno Fernandes had a chance to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but failed to control the ball and squandered his team's best opportunity.
How the match unfolded
The home side, however, made the most of their chances in front of goal. In the 17th minute, following a set-piece, United's defenders left Adjayi unmarked, and he sent the ball into the net. Just before the break, in the 38th minute, the Tigers scored again from a corner — Mendy set the final score. In the second half, the Red Devils' pressure still failed to yield a result, and Hull City held on to their winning score until the final whistle.
Manchester United's historic defeat
This defeat became a historic setback for Manchester United. According to the source, the 20-time English champions had never before in their history lost in the opening round of the top division to a team that had only just been promoted from the lower division. Thus, Hull City etched its name into the annals of English football, achieving a result that no other club had managed to reach in a similar situation.
Contradictory data
During fact-checking, the editorial team noted a minor discrepancy in the wording regarding Hull City's previous status. The main body of the article describes the team as a newcomer that had "just been promoted from the lower league," while specialist sources (including Sport Express and RBC) clarify that the club returned to the Premier League from the second division — the Championship. In essence, both versions point to the same fact of a return to the top flight, however the precise and correct description is "from the second division (Championship)," and it is this one that is used in this article.
Context for the season
The opening-round defeat sets Michael Carrick's staff and the new signings, including Andre Santos and Youri Tielemans, the task of quickly regrouping and regaining confidence. For Hull City, the win over one of the favourites at the start of the season is a strong signal that the team is ready to compete in the top flight. The further form of both clubs in the upcoming rounds of the 2026/27 Premier League will show whether this sensation was a fluke or the beginning of a reshuffle in the standings.
