Hull City suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon. A second-half goal from substitute Mohamed Ali Cho proved only a consolation after the Tigers conceded twice in the opening seven minutes.
Newcastle struck early at St James' Park. Joe Willock put the hosts ahead in the third minute, finishing an assist from Harvey Barnes. Just four minutes later, Barnes turned provider again, setting up Lewis Hall to double the lead. Hull City manager S. Jakirović made a tactical switch at half-time, introducing Tim Iroegbunam for Matt Crooks.
The visitors improved after the break and pulled a goal back in the 67th minute. Mohamed Belloumi, who has two goals this season, provided the assist for Mohamed Ali Cho to score. Hull City created more shots than their hosts, registering 21 attempts to Newcastle's 12, but only four were on target. The team's recent form now reads one win, two draws and two losses from their last five matches.
Jakirović's side remain fifth in the Premier League with eight points from their opening four games. They are four points behind leaders Arsenal. The defeat follows a 2-2 draw at Chelsea and a 1-0 loss to Sunderland in the EFL Cup. You can review the team's upcoming schedule on the fixtures page.
Hull City's next match is at the MKM Stadium against Everton on October 11th. The Toffees are currently ninth in the table. The Tigers will be without several players for that contest, including Charlie Hughes, Darko Gyabi and Jack Butland.
Manager S. Jakirović confirmed the defensive issues were worsened by the absence of centre-back Nobel Mendy. The club stated Mendy missed the game due to a concussion suffered against Chelsea. The defeat ended Hull City's unbeaten start to the season. The Tigers, now with a recent form of one win, two draws and two losses, sit fifth in the Premier League with eight points.
Manager Sergej Jakirović told reporters his side lost the game in the first half. "We were poor," he said. "We made two mistakes and they punished us with their quality." The defeat ended Hull City's unbeaten start, leaving them fifth with eight points. Newcastle's Yoane Wissa missed a penalty just before half-time, saved by Konstantinos Tzolakis. Tim Iroegbunam later came close to an equaliser with a late volley.
