Hull ‘not focused on outside noise’, says hero Ajayi

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Hull City’s goalscorer Semi Ajayi says the team are not listening to the outside noise after marking their Premier League return with a stunning win over Manchester United.

Ajayi and Nobel Mendy got on the scoresheet as Hull picked up three points in their first Premier League game in nine years, earning their first win over United in the competition.

It was also their first victory against the Red Devils since November 1974 in the second tier, ending their 11-game winless run against them.

Among teams to appear in more than one Premier League campaign, Hull have the highest win percentage on MD1 in the competition (66.7% – four wins from six).

Hull had faced some criticism from pundits in the build-up to the game, with Joe Cole dismissing their survival chances and saying they had “slipped into” the Premier League through the play-offs during a podcast.

But Ajayi says the team are not letting comments like those affect their morale.

“It was amazing, it capped off the great start that we had,” the centre-back told TNT Sports.

“I was buzzing to get the goal that got us on our way. I didn’t really care if any of us scored; there was no VAR check, so I was buzzing that we got the goal.

“We’re not focused on outside noise; we back ourselves to do well, and hopefully we will have a really positive season.”

Came through the back door. Left with three points. pic.twitter.com/H2HpiQFvl6

— Hull City (@HullCity) August 22, 2026

Despite only having 28.5% possession, Hull were clinical with their chances, especially in the first half, with Senne Lammens making some superb saves to keep the hosts at bay.

While they did not get any of their second-half shots on target, Hull defended resolutely to ensure they walked away from their first game with a clean sheet.

“We tried something on Friday, a plan there to punish them, how they stand on the wide free-kicks,” Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic told TNT Sports.

“A big boost for us – [home form] is the key – I have to convince players they are capable of playing at this level.

“We can compete, and this is the key; they showed that.”

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