Hull punished United defence in victory but Carrick’s attack is bigger area of concern | Andrew Beasley

Manchester United again struggled against a back five as their newly promoted hosts exploited a set-piece weakness

Hull scored nine league goals from set plays last season, the joint-fewest in the Championship.

Yet two in 21 minutes earned them a famous https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/22/hull-manchester-united-premier-league-match-report">victory over Manchester United on Saturday.

It was a disastrous start to the campaign for the visitors.

While Michael Carrick said before the game https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/20/michael-carrick-rejects-talk-of-easy-start-to-season-for-manchester-united">it would not be easy, he would not have expected victory being so straightforward for Hull.

It was a match United simply had to win given the gulf in resources and expectation.

Opta rated their chance of victory at 68.9% before kick-off.