On August 22 (Beijing time), an upset occurred in the Premier League's opening round when Hull City defeated Manchester United 2-0 at home. Prior to the match, Athletic journalist Liam Tharme wrote an in-depth tactical analysis explaining why Hull City won against Manchester United.

In this season's opening round upset, Hull City's victory over the 20-time Premier League champions Manchester United at home was thoroughly convincing.

Hull City led 2-0 by the 38th minute of the first half, and controlled the match calmly in the second half to secure an important win. Against Manchester United, who finished third last season, such a start is impressive for Hull City, the EFL Championship playoff winners. Notably, according to Transfermarkt's estimated player market values, Hull City possesses the lowest-valued squad in the entire Premier League.

While the term "tactical masterclass" is often overused, Sergei Jakirović's game plan and the team's execution on the pitch achieved exactly the desired effect.

First, let's examine the formation. Hull City had only 29% possession, but maintained a 5-4-1 formation when defending without the ball. The three-center-back combination of Semi Ajayi, John Egan, and Jens Jörgensen excelled in aerial duels and penalty area defense, forcing Manchester United to focus more on wing attacks.

Why use five defenders? Jakirović said in his post-match press conference: "Manchester United pressed particularly high, especially with left-back Luke Shaw. They also tried to create numerical superiority in midfield. Our main task was to block these gaps between the lines."

Last season, Hull City primarily used a 4-2-3-1 formation and finished sixth, 11 points behind direct promotion. However, they occasionally switched to 3-4-3 or 3-5-2, including in the playoff final against Middlesbrough at Wembley. Hull City subsequently returned to England's top flight for the first time in a decade.

In this match, Hull City made it difficult for Matheus Cunha to receive the ball, causing Manchester United significant problems. As a "false nine" in their 4-2-3-1 formation, Manchester United needed him to connect play and activate the wingers. In the first half, Manchester United's most threatening attacks under Michael Carrick were deep passes to wingers. However, Hull City had both numerical and height advantages in defense, so such attacking patterns suited them perfectly.

The crucial detail is this: especially after Marcus Rashford was introduced as the left winger replacing Dorgu in the second half, Hull City's five-man defensive line maintained a high position. Because they didn't drop too deep too early, Manchester United couldn't pin them near the penalty area. Rashford made several forward runs but failed to create chances due to poor pass or timing.

Later, when Cody Drameh came on for right wing-back Lewie Coyle, Hull City maintained their defensive line and successfully caught Marcus Rashford in an offside trap.

Coyle said in a post-match interview with TNT Sports: "We knew exactly what to do defensively in depth, and training paid off. That's what you have to do against the top teams." He also particularly praised Ollie McBurnie's defensive contribution. The Scottish striker closely marked midfield opponent Youri Tielemans throughout the match, preventing him from receiving the ball.

In Manchester United's half, Hull City pressed aggressively, particularly after set plays. They adopted man-marking tactics, with midfielders Regan Slater and Matt Crooks closely marking their assigned opponents. Manchester United's new midfield pairing of Youri Tielemans and Casemiro were substituted off in the 67th minute, demonstrating how effectively Hull City neutralized them.

Manchester United's difficulty breaking down stubborn defensive teams is not a new problem since Michael Carrick's arrival. From round 22 last season (Carrick's first league match), Manchester United won 12 games but dropped points in 5 matches, including draws against Bournemouth, West Ham United, and Sunderland, and 1-2 defeats to Newcastle United and Leeds United. Strictly speaking, these opponents cannot be considered top-tier teams.

This match clearly showed what happens to Manchester United when opponents defend well and Bruno Fernandes cannot make a difference. Manchester United lack a tactical Plan B and appear powerless except for bringing on Benjamin Šeško and continuing to cross to him. Michael Carrick admitted this honestly after the match: "We clearly showed problems when facing teams with different systems, and we need to find solutions."

However, Hull City's performance also deserves praise. From their patient 5-4-1 defense to quickly transitioning to aggressive pressing when opponents played the ball back to midfield, they completed 17 tackles throughout the match and won most ground and aerial duels.

Jakirović explained: "When we win the ball, we're very direct and advance very quickly. In transition, we try to switch the ball to the opposite flank, which works because our wing-backs are completely unmarked and we have numerical superiority in the box." Hull City displayed these characteristics last season as well.

The 14th-minute attack exemplified this. After winger Elliott Stroud won an aerial duel with Noussair Mazraoui, Hull City utilized the 5v4 numerical advantage provided by their wing-back system to launch an attack. With Mazraoui out of position, left wing-back Ryan Giles received a pass from McBurnie and quickly penetrated into the space.

Hull City players in orange and black surged forward, creating a 2v1 attacking opportunity for Giles and three teammates. Giles found McBurnie, but his header was brilliantly saved by Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana.

Giles attempted 8 crosses throughout the match and made 4 clearances, showcasing excellent performance on both offense and defense. Coyle on the opposite flank also frequently advanced, posing a serious test to Luke Shaw's defense.

Hull City repeatedly attacked down the flanks and maintained pressure, ultimately scoring the opening goal in the 17th minute in a highly instructive manner. This goal contained all the key elements mentioned earlier. Slater delivered a corner to the near post, Egan flicked it on with his head, and McBurnie slid in and struck the ball toward the far post. McBurnie thought he'd scored and turned away, but Onana saved it, and Junior Ajayi quickly followed up and stabbed it home to give Hull City a 1-0 lead.

In many ways, Jakirović has built a modern Premier League team. Strong at set pieces, dominant in physical battles, direct in attack, efficient in transitions, and tactically flexible when needed.

They also possess excellent technical and tactical ability. The second goal came from Slater's free kick, finished by Jörgensen. Earlier, Mohamed Belloumi had successfully nutmegged Youri Tielemans near the penalty area, and Manchester United's new signing was penalized for the foul, giving Hull City this central free-kick opportunity.

While the season is long, it's worth noting that in the 2024-25 relegation battle, West Ham finished 18th with 39 points, the highest total for a relegated team in the past 15 years. Hull City still have a long road ahead, but with this performance and result, they've proven they have the ability to establish themselves in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Michael Carrick's Manchester United face a reality check: Do they have the ability to break down teams sitting deep in defense?

AI 번역.

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