Hull City's remarkable Premier League start continues

Hull City's remarkable rise from Championship strugglers to Premier League contenders has defied all pre-season predictions. The Tigers left Stamford Bridge third in the table with eight points after a 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Saturday night, extending their unbeaten run to four games.

Sergej Jakirovic's side were tipped by many to threaten Derby County's record low points tally just three weeks ago. Instead, they have beaten Manchester United and Coventry, and drawn against Aston Villa and the Blues. With 34 games remaining, they currently sit fourth, just four points behind leaders Arsenal.

From the brink to the top flight

The journey makes this start all the more extraordinary. Sixteen months ago, Hull avoided relegation to League One only on goal difference after a final-day 1-1 draw at Portsmouth. A transfer embargo followed over an unpaid loan fee, and manager Rubén Sellés was dismissed after just five months.

Jakirovic took over at the start of last season and engineered a dramatic revival. He guided a team that had scored a league-low 44 goals to a sixth-place finish and 73 points. A last-minute Oli McBurnie goal at Wembley four months ago secured promotion via the playoffs, a moment the manager believes forged the squad's spirit.

"Maybe it was the best that it happened like this," Jakirovic said. "This group of players became even closer. They had to stick together and help each other."

A style built for the Premier League

Their success is not built on dominating possession. Hull averaged just 45% of the ball in the Championship, the fifth-lowest, and that has fallen to a league-low 29.4% this term. Instead, they are supremely organised without it, employing a 5-4-1 formation that forces opponents wide and closes gaps.

Regan Slater and Matt Crooks provide a screening midfield shield, while John Egan and Semi Ajayi dominate aerially. The data shows it works: their 53.8% ground duel success rate and 52.3% aerial duel win rate both rank sixth in the Premier League. They did not concede a goal in their first three top-flight matches.

Assistant manager Dean Holden emphasised this identity is no accident. "We are comfortable without the ball," Holden said. "It is not like we are coming up here having dominated the Championship and now we have to change."

Their direct approach continues, attempting the second-most long passes in both divisions last season and this. Ryan Giles, tenth for crosses in the Championship, is now third in the Premier League with 28 already.

Despite a £150 million summer spend, eight of the starters at Chelsea were part of last season's promotion side, showing faith in the core. Key contributors include top scorer Mohamed Belloumi, who netted both goals in the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Fans at the MKM Stadium know not to get carried away, with memories of a 2008-09 season where a fast start ended in a nervy, one-point survival. The challenge now is to maintain this level over the long haul. The next test comes away at Newcastle United this Saturday, a team currently 12th in the table. The full run of upcoming games is available on our fixtures page.

First reported at The Guardian Football