Шинээр дэвшсэн Халл Сити баг стандартын нөхцөлүүдийг үр дүнтэй ашигласнаар Манчестер Юнайтедыг 2-0-ийн харьцаатай буулган авч, улирлын эхний хожлоо байгууллаа.
Тоглолтын 17 дахь минутад булангийн цохилтын дараа Семи Аджайи гоолдож тооны харьцааг нээсэн бол 38 дахь минутад Нобель Менди чөлөөт цохилтоос мөргөж багтаа хоёр дахь гоолыг авчирлаа. Халл Ситигийн хагас хамгаалагч Реган Слейтер хоёр гоолын дамжуулалтыг өгч, тоглолтын хувь заяаг шийдвэрлэхэд гол үүрэг гүйцэтгэв. Манчестер Юнайтедын дасгалжуулагч Майкл Каррик хоёрдугаар хагаст Маркус Рашфорд, Бенжамин Шешко нарыг талбайд гаргаж сэлгээ хийсэн ч тоглолтын үр дүнг өөрчилж чадсангүй.
Манчестер Юнайтедын шинэ тоглогчид болох Юри Тилеманс болон Андрей Сантос нар бие бялдрын хувьд хүчирхэг тоглолт үзүүлсэн өрсөлдөгчийнхөө эсрэг төвийн бүсэд давуу тал үүсгэж чадсангүй. Халл Ситигийн довтлогч Оли МакБерни эсрэг багийн хамгаалалтыг тогтмол дарамталж, бөмбөг эзэмшилтээр илүүрхсэн Манчестер Юнайтедын төлөвлөгөөг нураахад ихээхэн хувь нэмэр оруулсан юм. Энэхүү хожигдол нь Манчестер Юнайтедын хувьд улирлын эхлэлийг хүндрүүлж байгаа бөгөөд тэд дараагийн тоглолтоо наймдугаар сарын 30-нд өөрийн талбайдаа Ипсвич Таун багийн эсрэг хийнэ.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Manchester United fell to a shock 2-0 defeat to Hull City in their opening game of the Premier League season.
It was a remarkable start for newly-promoted Hull. After an even opening quarter of an hour, a corner in the 17th minute fell to the feet of Semi Ajayi, who fired the ball into the back of the net to give his side the lead. Hull then doubled their lead in the 38th minute, with Nobel Mendy meeting a free-kick with his head and nodding the ball home.
While head coach Michael Carrick made a series of changes after the breaking, bringing on the likes of Marcus Rashford and Benjamin Sesko, his team were unable to turn the game around — handing Hull a precious three points in their bid to stay in the Premier League.
The Athletic’s Carl Anka and Liam Tharme analyse the key talking points from the game.
Why did Man Utd lose the physical battle?
“I think it’s a tough start; both teams,” said Michael Carrick during his pre-match press conference on Thursday. “A newly promoted team away from home is a tough game.”
Few within the football world gave Hull City a puncher’s chance of getting a result this Saturday, but they were excellent in the first half against Manchester United, scoring twice from set pieces and looking far hungrier for the physical battle.
Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic caused a tactical headache for Carrick, setting his team up in a 5-4-1 preferred to snap into midfield tackles rather than sit deep on the edge of their own penalty area. Wing-backs Ryan Giles and Lewie Coyle were clever when choosing their moments to push up into the final third and disrupt the rhythms of Noussair Mazraoui and Luke Shaw. Oli McBurnie was a useful focal point up front, but also happy to drop deep to stymie Andrey Santos’ influence.
McBurnie winning a header (George Wood/Getty Images)
And then came the crosses. Regan Slater’s set-piece deliveries played havoc with United’s defensive set-up. Hull’s first goal came from a corner Slater whipped in towards the back post, with Matt Crooks outmuscling his marker to get the flick on to free up McBurnie behind him. McBurnie’s effort was denied by Senne Lammens, but the loose ball was snatched up by Semi Ajayi, who gave his team the lead.
Hull’s second was another delivery from Slater, who found Nobel Mendy with pinpoint precision. Hull looked bigger, stronger and more willing to tussle for first and second balls. Slater’s potent crosses made goals a straightforward process. The home side finished the first half having won 65 per cent of their aerial duels and 59 per cent of their ground duels. Those numbers took a slight dip by the hour mark (62 per cent aerial duels won and 55 per cent ground duels won), but there was little indication they had run out of energy or seized up under pressure. They won the physical arm wrestle, which helped them gain control of the match.
Carl Anka
Who stood out for Hull in their win?
The man of the match contest had plenty of candidates. Regan Slater played a key role in both goals, delivering the inswinging corner that led to Semi Ajayi’s opener, and whipping a free-kick onto Nobel Mendy’s head 21 minutes later.
Ajayi and Nobel were excellent in their defensive duties either side of John Egan in the back three, before both being subbed on 64 minutes — Mendy with an injury. They made a combined 17 clearances to limit United’s threat from the wings.
Ajayi celebrates his opening goal (George Wood/Getty Images)
Oli McBurnie deserves credit too. Being a lone striker when your team has 34 per cent possession can be tough. He offered an outball for goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis to hit long, and got to the back post at Slater’s corner, forcing the save from Senne Lamens which gave Ajayi a tap-in.
His out-of-possession role was to occupy Andrey Santos and limit his involvement, and the Scottish striker showed outstanding footwork during the second half to evade two opponents and hit a switch of play out to the left, dragging Hull up the pitch.
Liam Tharme
Rashford is back — did he make an impact?
For head coach Carrick to turn to Rashford at half-time, with United 2-0 down, showed the tactical problems they were having. The strikerless 4-2-3-1 did not work to manipulate Hull’s back five, and their best moments came from deep crosses to wingers Patrick Dorgu and Bryan Mbuemo.
United had six first-half dribbles and only completed one: they needed incision and a one-v-one threat. Rashford kept making the right runs, trying to get in-behind the Hull high line, though either his timing was off or the pass did not arrive with the correct weighting.
Rashford came on as a half-time substitute (George Wood/Getty Images)
The circumstances of his return were unideal, following a loan at Barcelona where Rashford recorded 15 goal involvements (eight goals, seven assists) and then a World Cup campaign with England in which Rashford had his best moments as an impact substitute.
Where does Carrick go from here? Rashford could be dropped in at left wing for Dorgu in the starting XI, or play the withdrawn role that Matheus Cunha is preferred for. And that’s if Rashford stays at his boyhood club. Last season he proved that he still has the quality and robustness to start at the highest level.
Liam Tharme
How did big summer arrivals Tielemans and Santos perform?
When United spent the better part of £85 million on Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, it was hoped the two midfielders would give the side greater technical security in midfield. Carrick, like many of his predecessors, has enjoyed positive spells with United by encouraging their threat on the attacking transition. The two new midfielders were signed with a view to helping United unpick teams that wished to defend deep and frustrate.
Both men made their debuts against Hull, but neither seemed ready for the physical battle the newly promoted team presented. United dominated possession throughout Saturday’s game, but Santos and Tielemans struggled to work the ball around Hull’s stubborn central block, with McBurnie routinely dropping deep to pick Santos’ pocket and rob him of the ball.
Things were compounded by a toothless front three. A training ground injury to Amad Diallo and Benjamin Sesko’s so-so match fitness saw Carrick opt for Matheus Cunha as his centre-forward and Bryan Mbeumo as his right winger.
Cunha’s tendency to drift across the front line left the team without a focal point for Santos and Tielemans to build towards. The running tendencies of Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu when coming inside further narrowed the team.
Up against a Hull team that were comfortable retreating into a back six when required, Tielemans and Santos spent far too much time exchanging sideways passes, rather than hitting the sort of line-breaking passes required. The second half would see McBurnie applauded by the home crowd after he completed a clever dribbling run, one that would see him cut inside Tielemans and leave him spitting feathers.
The 66th minute saw Carrick made a double change, bringing on Kobbie Mainoo and Sesko for Santos and Tielemans. The changes did little to enliven a team that looked stuck in pre-season pace. It is hoped that the imminent signing of Carlos Baleba will bring greater physicality to United’s midfield. The 22-year-old is currently dealing with an ankle issue.
Santos and Tielemans will need to figure this out, and quickly, if United are to recover from this surprising defeat.
Carl Anka
What next for Manchester United?
Sunday, August 30: Ipswich Town (home), Premier League, 4.30pm UK, 11.30am ET
