Hull City extended their unbeaten start to the Premier League season with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Aston Villa at MKM Stadium on Saturday. The result means Sergej Jakirovic's side have now kept three consecutive clean sheets and sit third in the table with six points from two wins and this draw.
The visitors created the better openings in a game of few clear-cut chances. Nicolas Jackson headed wide inside the opening minutes, while John McGinn blazed over when one-on-one with Konstantinos Tzolakis after interplay between Emi Buendia and Jackson. Buendia himself then failed to keep an unmarked effort down from inside the penalty area. Hull's best moment came just after the hour mark when Mohamed Belloumi's curling strike crashed against the crossbar. At the death, Ryan Giles picked out Oli McBurnie in the area, but the forward could not convert the late opportunity.
Unai Emery, taking charge of his 200th game for Villa, was positive about his team's performance despite the lack of a goal. "I'm positive. The result is not enough but how we planned and how we played and how we created some chances to score, I think we deserved more," Emery said. He admitted his side were not clinical, referencing four very good chances to score. Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic was delighted with his team's start to the campaign. "Amazing. If somebody offered this to me at the start of the season I would sign it immediately," he stated, referring to seven points from the first nine available.
The match saw debuts for deadline day arrivals Sorba Thomas and Brooke Norton-Cuffy, who both came off the bench. Other new signings Robinio Vaz and Christos Mouzakitis were on the bench, while Tim Iroegbunam and Ilyas Ansah were not in the squad. Jakirovic noted that some of the new players lacked a full pre-season and would need time to integrate. The squad continues to deal with several absences, with Charlie Hughes, Darko Gyabi, Jack Butland, Óscar Zambrano, and Lewie Coyle currently sidelined.
Hull City's defensive solidity has been the foundation of their early success. They are yet to concede a goal this season, having scored three themselves for a +3 goal difference. This places them firmly in the upper echelon of the standings. Their next challenge is a significant one, an away trip to face Chelsea on September 12th. Chelsea currently sit fourth, making it a top-of-the-table clash early in the season. Fans can view the full fixtures schedule for the coming weeks. The team's current form and league position provide a great platform as they prepare for that stern test at Stamford Bridge.
