Humiliating Start for English Giants. Coach Carrick Calms Panic After Defeat: We Will Be Better

Manchester arrived as favorites, brimming with confidence after their strong finish last season and significant summer signings. However, their territorial dominance failed to unlock the opponent's compact defense.

"It's a game we lost. Of course, it's a huge disappointment as we came here to win. It's just one match, but we have to put it behind us and come back stronger. We need to accept the result, but we won't change the direction of the entire club and team because of this. We know we can be better, and we will be better," stated United manager Michael Carrick to the official club website.

His players failed to defend two set-pieces, conceding to the home defenders twice within 21 minutes in the first half. Semi Ajayi first delighted the home crowd, followed by Nobel Mendy.

"We want to show people they were wrong about us. I know there are still 37 games ahead, but this is a good foundation for the future. It means a lot to us; the players stuck to the tactical plans, and we punished Manchester United.

We had many problems because we made four defensive substitutions, which is unusual. However, it's necessary to play, to fight, and perhaps we'll need to strengthen further now," commented Hull coach Sergei Jakirovič in his post-match assessment.

According to Opta statistics, this marks the first time in history that Manchester has lost to a newly promoted team in the opening round of a new Premier League season.

For Hull, it wasn't just a three-point start to the new season, but also a form of vindication for previous years. During their nine-year wait to return to the Premier League, the team had at one point dropped to the third tier, and many pundits had tipped the club as relegation candidates to the Championship before the opening whistle.

"It was amazing, a great start for us. We don't focus on external noise, but we support each other to play well. It's just one game; we haven't silenced everyone yet. If we continue to play like this, hopefully, people will stop underestimating us. I believe this will truly be a positive season," said home defender Semi Ajayi after the victory.