Hull City Player Ratings: Semi Ajayi Shines in Victory

Konstantinos Tzolakis – 8
A debut that crackled with authority. His one-handed stop from Bryan Mbeumo’s angled drive was outstanding, a save that set the tone. Came confidently for high balls, took pressure off his defence, and never looked rattled.

Lewie Coyle (off 70) – 7
From the opening minutes he made Hull’s intentions clear with a deep cross towards Oli McBurnie from the right wing-back slot. Pushed high, stretched United out wide and gave Hull a constant outlet.

Semi Ajayi (off 63) – 9
The moment fell to him and he absolutely buried it. Reacted quickest to smash home the rebound for Hull’s opener – his first Premier League goal since January 2021, back in his West Brom days at Wolves. Beyond the goal, he was immense at the back, reading danger and winning duels all afternoon.

John Egan – 8
Stationed in the middle of a back three but refused to stay chained there. Stepped into midfield when Hull had the ball, used it sensibly and knitted play together. A clever, disciplined performance in an awkward role.

Ryan Giles (off 84) – 7
A mirror threat to Coyle on the opposite flank. Drove forward with purpose, delivered from wide areas, then sprinted back to close the door when United tried to exploit the spaces he left. Balanced risk and responsibility well.

Regan Slater – 7
His delivery for Hull’s second was exquisite – a curling free-kick that begged to be attacked and Nobel Mendy obliged. Worked tirelessly in midfield, part of a unit that out-fought and out-thought United.

Matt Crooks – 8
Owned the central ground. Snapped into challenges, kept Hull ticking, and refused to let his standards dip. His late surge through the middle forced Senne Lammens into a hurried clearance, a snapshot of his energy and intent.

Nobel Mendy (off 63) – 8
A debut to savour. Scored Hull’s second with a strong run and finish to match Slater’s inviting free-kick. Defensively sound, cleared his lines when required and never panicked under pressure.

Mohamed Belloumi – 8
Calm, neat, and quietly influential. Rarely surrendered possession, recycling the ball with simple passes that allowed Hull to build attacks and maintain momentum. Not flashy, but vital.

Oli McBurnie – 8
Did everything but score. Bullied United’s back line, particularly Ayden Heaven, and dragged defenders into areas they didn’t want to go. His sheer presence created space for others, and his goalbound effort forced the save that led to Ajayi’s strike.

Elliot Stroud (off 70) – 7
Survived an early scare with a late challenge on Harry Maguire that infuriated the defender but escaped harsher punishment. Shook that off and delivered a strong, positive display, aggressive without losing control.

Substitutes – Hull City

Paddy McNair (on 63) – 6
Slotted in against his former club and helped see the game out with a steady defensive cameo.

Lucas Herrington (on 63) – 6
Came on as Hull shifted towards counter-attacking. Held his shape, stayed disciplined, and did the simple things right.

Liam Millar (on 70) – 6
Injected pace on the break and led one promising late counter, but couldn’t quite conjure a third goal.

Cody Drameh (on 70) – 6
Alert and sharp. Read Luke Shaw’s intentions and nipped in to stop a dangerous cross as United piled on late pressure.

Matt Targett (on 84) – 6
Late introduction to reinforce the left side and help close the game down. Did exactly that.

Subs not used: Dillion Phillips, Jens Hjertø-Dahl, Kieran Dowell, Lucas Gourna-Douath.

Manchester United

Senne Lammens – 7
The scoreline flatters no one in red, but Lammens can hold his head up. Made two smart stops before blocking McBurnie’s effort, only for Ajayi to lash in the rebound. Without him, the damage could have been heavier.

Noussair Mazraoui (off 80) – 5
Drifted inside from the flank, but never really hurt Hull. Struggled to contain their wing-backs and couldn’t impose himself going the other way.

Harry Maguire – 6
Back at Hull, but this was no triumphant return. Defended reasonably well in isolation, yet couldn’t organise or lift the players around him in a disjointed back line.

Ayden Heaven – 5
Exposed on the big stage. Outmuscled by McBurnie in the build-up to Hull’s opener and drawn into a half-time confrontation with the striker. A harsh lesson in Premier League physicality.

Luke Shaw – 6
Offered width, hugged the touchline and linked attacks, but the sheer distance he had to cover left gaps behind him. Caught between two jobs and punished for it.

Andrey Santos (off 66) – 5
His competitive debut slipped by. Overrun by Hull’s midfield, loose in possession, and unable to dictate any tempo.

Youri Tielemans (off 66) – 5
Produced a few neat passes, but drifted into launching hopeful high balls into the Hull box – the kind of service United’s attack never looked suited to contest. A frustrating outing.

Bryan Mbeumo – 5
United’s brightest spark in the first half, yet still short of his usual standards. One angled shot brought that superb Tzolakis save, another acrobatic effort flicked wide. Threatened, but without end product.

Bruno Fernandes – 5
Worked, shouted, demanded, but the cutting edge deserted him. Rarely found pockets to shoot from and never truly grabbed the game.

Patrick Dorgu (off 46) – 4
Found space in advanced areas but wasted promising positions. Booked, sloppy in possession and repeatedly disrupted United’s attacking rhythm. Hooked at half-time, and it felt inevitable.

Matheus Cunha (off 80) – 5
Started as the central striker, but his instinct to drop into the No 10 zone left United without a focal point. Clever touches, little penalty-box presence.

Substitutes – Manchester United

Marcus Rashford (on 46) – 5
Back in United colours for the first time since December 2024. Immediately ran at Hull’s defence, tried to inject urgency, but created very little of substance.

Benjamin Sesko (on 66) – 5
At least gave United a more physical option up front, something for Hull’s centre-backs to think about. Service to him was poor, and his impact limited.

Kobbie Mainoo (on 66) – 5
Introduced to bring control but couldn’t turn the tide. Hull’s midfield grip remained firm.

Diogo Dalot (on 80) – 5
Late arrival with minimal chance to influence proceedings.

Shea Lacey (on 80) – 5
Given a brief taste of the contest as United chased a way back. The game had already slipped away.

Subs not used: Karl Darlow, Lisandro Martinez, Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro.