Hull City 2-0 Man United Player Ratings: Semi Ajayi stars with 8 as United’s debutants flop

Hull City produced one of the biggest surprises of the Premier League opening weekend, stunning Manchester United 2-0 at the MKM Stadium as Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy struck in the first half.

The newly promoted side were disciplined, aggressive and clinical, while United struggled to cope with Hull’s intensity and failed to turn possession into clear opportunities.

Here is how both sets of players performed on a difficult afternoon for Michael Carrick’s side.

Hull City Player Ratings

Konstantinos Tzolakis — 8/10: Made an excellent one-handed stop to deny Mbeumo and looked assured dealing with aerial balls. A strong Premier League debut.

Lewie Coyle — 7/10: Delivered an early cross that nearly found McBurnie and remained a threat from the right. Defended responsibly when United applied pressure.

Semi Ajayi — 9/10: Outstanding at both ends. Followed up to score Hull’s opener and was a commanding presence throughout, making crucial interventions in defence.

John Egan — 8/10: Comfortable in Hull’s back three and stepped into midfield effectively when possession changed. Read the game well and helped keep United quiet.

Ryan Giles — 7/10: Offered Hull another attacking outlet from wide areas while remaining disciplined enough to recover defensively and deny United useful space.

Regan Slater — 7/10: Produced an excellent curling free-kick for Mendy’s goal and worked tirelessly in midfield during Hull’s impressive first-half performance.

Matt Crooks — 8/10: Dominated the midfield battle through his energy, physicality and discipline. Constantly competed and even threatened during a late forward run.

Nobel Mendy — 8/10: Marked his debut with Hull’s second goal and defended confidently. Made important clearances and rarely looked uncomfortable against United’s attackers.

Mohamed Belloumi — 8/10: Calm and composed in possession. His tidy passing helped Hull maintain control and build attacks without unnecessarily surrendering the ball.

Oliver McBurnie — 8/10: Constantly troubled United’s defenders with his physical presence. Although he failed to score, his movement created opportunities for teammates.

Elliot Stroud — 7/10: Recovered well from an early challenge on Maguire to produce an energetic and positive attacking display before being substituted.

Manchester United Player Ratings

Senne Lammens — 7/10: Made several good saves and blocked McBurnie’s effort before Ajayi followed up. One of United’s better performers despite conceding twice.

Noussair Mazraoui — 5/10: Moved inside regularly but offered little attacking threat and struggled to contain Hull’s wide players when they advanced.

Harry Maguire — 6/10: Experienced a difficult return to Hull. Defended reasonably but could not provide the leadership needed as United struggled collectively.

Ayden Heaven — 5/10: Was physically beaten by McBurnie in the build-up to Hull’s opener. Looked inexperienced and vulnerable against the hosts’ physical approach.

Luke Shaw — 6/10: Provided width and linked attacks effectively, but his positioning left him with considerable defensive ground to cover.

Andrey Santos — 5/10: Found the midfield battle difficult on his competitive United debut. Struggled against Hull’s intensity and was not convincing in possession.

Youri Tielemans — 5/10: Produced some neat passes but resorted too often to high deliveries that suited Hull’s defenders. A disappointing overall showing.

Bryan Mbeumo — 5/10: United’s main attacking threat early on, forcing a save and seeing another effort deflected. His influence faded as the game progressed.

Bruno Fernandes — 5/10: Worked hard but never reached his usual level. Struggled to find dangerous shooting positions or consistently influence United’s attacking play.

Patrick Dorgu — 4/10: Found promising positions but lacked the final quality to turn them into chances. Booked and substituted at half-time after an ineffective display.

Matheus Cunha — 5/10: Started centrally but repeatedly dropped into deeper areas, leaving United without a consistent target ahead of their midfield.

Substitutes

Marcus Rashford — 5/10: Returned to competitive action for United and immediately tried to run at Hull’s defence, but struggled to produce a decisive contribution.

Benjamin Sesko — 6/10: Offered greater physical presence after coming on but could not make enough of an impact against Hull’s organised defence.

Kobbie Mainoo — 5/10: Entered as United sought control but struggled to influence proceedings or provide the attacking spark required during the comeback attempt.

Diogo Dalot — 5/10: Joined during United’s late pressure but had limited time to make a meaningful difference.

Shea Lacey — 5/10: Came on during the closing stages and offered little opportunity to alter the outcome.

Hull City substitutes

Paddy McNair — 6/10: Produced a solid defensive display after replacing Mendy and helped Hull maintain their two-goal advantage.

Lucas Herrington — 6/10: Stayed disciplined while Hull relied on counter-attacks and helped preserve the team’s defensive shape.

Liam Millar — 6/10: Led a promising late counter but could not find the finish or final pass needed to add a third goal.

Cody Drameh — 6/10: Made an important defensive intervention to stop Shaw delivering a cross as United increased the pressure.

Matt Targett — 5/10: Came on late and helped Hull see out the closing stages without conceding.