HULL: Hull City marked their return to the Premier League after a nine-year absence with a deserved 2-0 victory over Manchester United and fellow newcomers Ipswich Town also began impressively with a 2-1 home win against visiting Sunderland.

Leeds United ruined Oliver Glasner’s first game in charge of Nottingham Forest as they snatched a late 1-0 victory at the City Ground, while the Austrian’s former club Crystal Palace were beaten 2-0 at Everton.

Opening weekends of a new campaign are often unpredictable and after an unprecedented managerial merry-go-round this summer, with nine clubs starting with a new man in charge, it proved the case again with Hull producing the biggest upset.

There had been an air of optimism surrounding Michael Carrick’s United side after last season’s revival saw them finish third under their former midfielder, who replaced the sacked Ruben Amorim in January.

Instead they got a reality check.

“It’s one game,” Carrick told TNT Sports. “It’s the first game of the season, so it’s disappointing enough, and it hurts, of course it does.

“But it doesn’t change direction all of a sudden, the whole direction the team’s going in, or the football club. We’ll stay calm, stay in the bubble and focus on next week.”

Hull were promoted via the playoffs and began the season tipped for an early return to the Championship.

However, they threatened United from the start and took the lead in the 17th minute when Semi Ajayi turned home a rebound after Oli McBurnie’s effort from a corner had been parried by goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

Hull’s dominance at set-pieces paid off again seven minutes before halftime. Regan Slater curled a free kick into the area and Nobel Mendy rose high to power a header beyond Lammens to send the MKM Stadium into raptures.

It was Hull’s first league victory over United in 52 years.

“I spoke last week about the possibility that we can win,” Hull’s Croatian manager Sergej Jakirovic said. “This is maybe the key because I have to convince my players that we are capable of playing at this level. They showed it today on the pitch.”

United, who had never lost to a newly promoted side in a season opener, struggled to respond. Marcus Rashford, making his first appearance for the club since December 2024, showed flashes of promise as a second-half substitute, but Carrick’s team found it difficult to create clear chances.

Bryan Mbeumo had United’s best chance in the 78th minute, but his shot from a central area was saved by Konstantinos Tzolakis, who otherwise enjoyed a quiet afternoon as Hull’s defence comfortably kept the visitors at bay.

DREAM RETURN

Ipswich substitute Jack Clarke scored in the 90th minute to mark a dream return to the top flight for the Suffolk club.

Julio Enciso set up Emersonn for a tap-in after 24 minutes for the hosts but Sunderland, who finished seventh last season on their return to the Premier League, levelled before halftime when Nilson Angulo’s curling free-kick went in off the crossbar.

Clarke’s late winner meant that for only the fourth time in the Premier League two of the three promoted teams won their openers, as also happened last season.

Championship winners Coventry City lost 3-0 at Premier League champions Arsenal on Friday.

Glasner is Forest’s fifth manager in less than a year but his reign began in disappointing fashion as Anton Stach struck for Leeds in the 88th minute.

Everton won their opening game for the first time in five years as goals by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry either side of the interval saw off Pierre Sage’s Palace.

Palace had looked lively early on and twice struck the woodwork through Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Philippe Mateta.

CHAMPIONS OFF TO FLYER

Late on Friday, Arsenal started their title defence with a bang by sweeping aside newly-promoted Coventry City with a dominant performance in a 3-0 home win.

The last time the London side retained the top-flight title was in 1935 but it took just 15 minutes for Kai Havertz to show Arsenal’s intent as he coolly guided a Riccardo Calafiori cross into the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the box.

New signing Christos Tzolis made the second goal eight minutes later in what was an impressive league debut for the Greek international following his signing from Club Brugge.

Tzolis was found out wide by Declan Rice after a break from defence and his quick low cross could only be parried by goalkeeper Carl Rushworth for the waiting Bukayo Saka to tap in.

Coventry, who are back in the Premier League after a 25-year absence, had to stay patient as Arsenal dominated possession, but they came close at the end of the first half with a looping overhead kick that had keeper David Raya scrambling to get back.

Arsenal effectively killed the game off four minutes into the second period when captain Martin Odegaard grabbed a third with a scuffed finish that wrong-footed Rushworth.

Mikel Arteta’s side had a blizzard of other chances as they pressed forward but Coventry could have nicked a consolation goal with five minutes to go when a cross found Jack Rudoni unmarked but he could only head into Raya’s arms.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2026