Hull City's unbeaten start to the Premier League season is over after a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United. The Tigers conceded twice in the opening seven minutes at St James' Park, a deficit they could not overturn despite a spirited second-half performance.
Joe Willock gave the hosts the lead after just three minutes, finishing from Harvey Barnes's pass. Four minutes later, Barnes turned provider again as his cross was turned in by Lewis Hall. That early double left Sergej Jaissle's side with a mountain to climb.
Hull City showed their resilience after the break. The goal came from a Newcastle error, with Lewis Miley caught in possession. Mohamed Belloumi seized on the loose ball and played in Mohamed-Ali Cho, who finished with a low left-footed shot past Lukas Hornicek. The goal was Cho's first of the campaign and Belloumi's second assist, adding to his two goals this season which make him the club's top scorer.
Head coach Sergej Jaissle was proud of his team's response. "I’m very proud of how we played this game, especially the second half," he said. "It was an intense game. We started at a really high level, it was the right reaction to Leeds. But the missed penalty changed momentum."
That penalty came in the first half after Sorba Thomas slipped and pulled back Jacob Murphy. Yoane Wissa stepped up, but his spot-kick was saved by Konstantinos Tzolakis. The Greek goalkeeper, a £20m summer signing from Olympiakos, had conceded only three goals prior to this match and his stop kept Hull in the contest.
Jaissle made a late tactical switch to a back three, introducing the experienced Fabian Schär for 18-year-old Sean Steur. The Tigers pressed for an equaliser, with Robin Vaz forcing a save and Sorba Thomas almost turning in a Matt Crooks cross. The result leaves Hull City seventh in the Premier League standings with eight points from five games, a position that reflects their recent form of one win, one draw, and now two defeats in their last four outings.
The defeat follows a 4-1 loss to Leeds, a result which prompted harsh words from Jaissle. This performance, despite the loss, showed a marked improvement in fight. The Tigers now have a break before their next challenge, a home match against fifth-placed Everton on October 11th, which is a key fixture in their fixtures list. Mohamed Belloumi, who now has two goals and two assists, will be a player to watch in that game according to our detailed stats analysis.
First reported at The Guardian Football
