Analysis: Missed opportunity for both sides?published at 17:51 GMT 31 October
17:51 GMT 31 October
Sam Drury BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
For two promoted sides to be sitting on 11 points from nine games, safely in mid-table for now, there shouldn't be too much to grumble about.
Yet, both Hull and Ipswich will feel slightly frustrated after a highly watchable draw in East Yorkshire.
It is the kind of result that each will hope they don't come to rue at the end of the campaign.
For Ipswich, what will irk Gary O'Neil most is that Ipswich were unable to capitalise on such a strong first half.
With better decision-making around the penalty area and a little more ruthlessness, they could have been out of sight.
Meanwhile, a slow start - to put it mildly - will be at the heart of Hull's frustration. That and their failure to keep themselves in front, having fought back to lead.
While Hull continue to pick up points, the damage is lessened. But the longer they go without a victory, the more urgent is their need to rediscover that winning feeling.
For the time being, both sides can focus on the resilience they showed after falling behind and the latest point ticked off in the quest to stay in the top flight. The hope in both camps will be that they don't ultimately see this as two dropped.
Hull City 2-2 Ipswich: What Jakirovic saidpublished at 17:30 GMT 31 October
17:30 GMT 31 October
Media caption,
Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic, talking to Match of the Day: "They overloaded us in the midfield in the first half and that was the biggest problem. After 30 minutes we did it with [John] Egan into midfield and we showed a bit more.
"At half-time we changed the system and started to be much more aggressive and on the front foot as a group.
"[Julio] Enciso scored an excellent goal but we could stop this, it was a cheap goal [to concede] as we had the ball twice in possession. We couldn't play as bad as in the first half but I could say that's the quality of the opponent.
"At 2-1, maybe we could've controlled it better. If you can't win, don't lose, especially after the first half and we improved a lot. I'm waiting for a win for almost two months, which is unbelievable."
Oliver McBurnie scored his first ever direct free kick in the Premier League, while it is the first by a Hull City player in the top-flight since Robert Snodgrass vs Everton in December 2016.
Hull have won 11 points from their opening nine Premier League games this season (won two, drawn five, lost two), with the Tigers only ever earning more points at this stage of one previous top-flight campaign (20 in 2008-09).
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Man City v Brighton" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Coventry match", for example.
New this season: Live match updates
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Hull City v Ipswich Town: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 19:37 GMT 30 October
19:37 GMT 30 October
Hull City and Ipswich Town have made encouraging starts to life back in the Premier League having both collected 10 points so far. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes ahead of Saturday's meeting (15:00 GMT).
Hull hard to beat but need a win
A week after facing Brentford for the first time in the top flight, Hull once again face maiden opposition as their clash against Ipswich Town becomes the 1,456th different fixture to be played in the upper tier of English football.
Encouraging starts for both sides on their Premier League return makes this the first season that two promoted sides have reached 10 or more points after eight games since West Brom (12) and Blackpool (10) did so in 2010-11.
And if history is anything to go by, reaching double figures at this stage means they have both taken a giant stride towards staying up.
Of the 402 Premier League teams to have collected 10 or more points from eight games, only 12 have gone on to be relegated and, if broken down to just promoted teams, a mere six of 33 have returned to the second tier - with the last being Blackpool in 2011.
However, that's not to say that Hull aren't desperate for a victory given it is 63 days on Saturday since their last league win came against Coventry on 29 August. Sergej Jakirovic's side have certainly made themselves hard to beat, but a run of six matches without a top-flight victory (D4, L2) is the joint longest along with Manchester United and Sunderland.
The Tigers will not want to become only the fourth side in Premier League history to win their opening two matches but fail to record a victory in any of their subsequent seven, especially as they are one of the previous three teams to do so who went on to be relegated, in 2016-17.
Continuing their strong home form – they are unbeaten in nine at the MKM Stadium in all competitions – will be crucial for the rest of the season. They could become only the second promoted side in the last 11 years to go unbeaten in their first five home games of a Premier League campaign after Sunderland did so 12 months ago.
Not wanting to give Tigers fans a fright, but the 13 defeats they have suffered on 31 October is the most of any side on Halloween in Football League history.
Tractor Boys again show their fight
Ipswich Town once again showed their never-say-die attitude as they salvaged a point from their clash with Nottingham Forest last week.
It took the Tractor Boys to a healthy 10 points from eight games. The only previous time they have reached double figures in fewer matches in their six previous Premier League seasons was after five games in 1993-94.
Their Forest fightback increased their tally of points won from losing positions to a top-flight leading seven this season, three more than they managed across the whole of their last Premier League campaign in 2024-25. They also top the charts for goals scored while trailing with six, so it's no surprise to learn that only Crystal Palace (51.2%) have spent a greater percentage of games in a losing position this season than the 46% Ipswich have.
Head coach Gary O'Neil would much prefer his side to not always have to battle back in games and will also be searching for an improvement in defence, having seen his side ship 16 goals in eight games.
One of only two sides along with Manchester United yet to keep a clean sheet, Ipswich's last top-flight shutout came in a 2-0 win over Chelsea on 30 December 2024. Their 27-game run without one is the longest since Watford went 30 matches between March 2020 and January 2022.
Sutton's predictions: Hull v Ipswichpublished at 18:58 GMT 30 October
18:58 GMT 30 October
Both of these promoted teams have got 10 points so far, which shows what decent starts they have made.
I've not picked either of them to get a win yet in my predictions but that is going to change this week despite the obvious result to go for being a draw.
I could easily make a case for Hull because we know they will give this a real go, but I am actually going to back Ipswich to nick an away win. The Tractor Boys have definitely got a goal or two in them and have already won once on the road, at Crystal Palace.
'Sometimes you're hot, sometimes you're not' - McBurnie published at 17:29 GMT 30 October
17:29 GMT 30 October
Image source, Getty Images
Hull City striker Oli McBurnie spoke to BBC Radio Humberside about a physical battle with Brentford and dealing with spells of not scoring.
"I've had spells where I've scored. I've had spells where I haven't scored, so it's not the end of the world." McBurnie told BBC Radio Humberside.
"Maybe if I was 19, 20 again and I hadn't scored for seven games, it would probably be a bit more on my head a little bit more. But yeah, I know what the game's like. I know how it works.
"Sometimes you're hot and sometimes you're not. So you've just got to make sure that when you're not scoring as much, you're still doing enough for the team to be able to keep your jersey.
"I like being on the ball, like getting the ball into feet and being able to hurt teams that way as well. I think one thing about the way that we play is we're not stuck to one system, one formation, one way of playing.
"We can kind of adjust mid-game if we have to. So I think that's one reason why we're so successful."
McBurnie coughed up blood during the 1‑1 draw with Brentford on Sunday and said: "I got a little body check in the first half. I think I might have recracked a rib from last year. But it's fine, it's a rib. All good.
"I've never coughed up blood from a strike before, so I just asked the doc if it was all right and he gave me a quick check over at half-time and said it was all good. So crack on.
"It's the same, the third rib from last time. But it's just one of those things, you can't really do much for a rib."
Jakirovic on Mendy's return, Tigers progress and Ipswichpublished at 13:58 GMT 29 October
13:58 GMT 29 October
Melissa Edwards BBC Sport journalist
Media caption,
Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Ipswich Town at MKM Stadium (kick-off 15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Jakirovic has confirmed there are no fresh injury concerns in his squad as Nobel Mendy returns to contention this weekend. The Tigers boss said he has a fit 27-man squad available to him and now his job is to "pick the right" line-up.
On whether he needs to handle Mendy's return carefully because of his injury history, he said: "I will be careful but also we have to use him. Of course, he has this concussion against Chelsea so it was a bit unlucky he missed the Newcastle game. We are trying everything to improve his body, his core, his groin and also he's doing a lot of hard work to improve."
Jakirovic added that a decision on goalkeeper Jack Butland will be made on Friday, while long-term absentee Charlie Hughes trained with the team on Wednesday in what he called a "miracle". The defender continues to recover from the double hernia surgery he had at the end of last season.
On Hull City's season so far, he said: "Our progress is good. We've improved a lot and also collected some experience and I think, except Fulham, in every game we were competitive. We can play, we can create some problems no matter home or away and this is very good. We will try to continue like this."
Jakirovic said it is "very important" for his side to make MKM Stadium a place for opponents to fear to help give his side "confidence". He added that his players are "much braver at home" than when they play at some away grounds.
On facing Ipswich, he said: "They invested a lot - I think they brought in maybe 20 players and, even last season with [Kieran] McKenna, they were very, very good. They won promotion, second in the league and they beat us two times last season so I know how difficult they are. Even now, they have more speed, they added some good quality players - and I can say they stole two players from me but [it is] OK. I'm expecting a tough game but also I'm expecting we will continue to play like [we did] against Brentford."
Listen to Sergej Jakirovic pre-match interview with BBC Radio Humberside above or listen on BBC Sounds
Ajayi hitting 'phenomenal' levelspublished at 08:28 GMT 29 October
08:28 GMT 29 October
Image source, Getty Images
Reflecting on Hull City's hard-fought draw against Brentford last time out, including some standout performances, fan Ryan Frankish told BBC Sport: "Igor Thiago and Kevin Schade were clear threats but the Tigers kept them nullified throughout the game. The only player who really seemed to get continuous joy was Dango Ouattara.
"Everyone had a good game as far as Hull City is concerned. My honourable mention for 'man of the match' is Semi Ajayi. That was one of the best centre-back performances that I have seen. His performances this season rival, if not slightly pip, early 2016-17 Curtis Davies.
"This is the magnitude of centre-back performance we are dealing with. That first half was faultless from him in every way, shape or form. He won every duel, he made the correct decision every time, he didn't shirk out of anything, he was just absolutely phenomenal.
"Tim Iroegbunam is another honourable mention. He was everywhere, absolutely everywhere. He and Regan Slater can comfortably outrun a three-man midfield, they are absolutely fantastic together. We have a good thing going in midfield with just those two players.
"I also really like Elliot Stroud. He is an unearthed gem and we were lucky enough to get the deal done for him, although everybody was very tempestuous about it in the summer. He has been brilliant, not just because of the pretty things but because of how hard he works. We just look better with him in the team."
Listen to more from Ryan Frankish by pressing play below or on BBC Sounds here
'You hear things and see things' - Coyle on 'negativity'published at 17:29 GMT 26 October
17:29 GMT 26 October
Image source, Getty Images
Hull City captain Lewie Coyle has responded to his critics by insisting he is "absolutely loving every single minute" of playing in the Premier League.
The 31-year-old, who recently surpassed 340 appearances for the club, admitted struggling to understand "the negativity" occasionally targeted towards him as a player representing his hometown club.
"The second we got into the Premier League, I realised that the dream I had as a boy had come true," Coyle told BBC Radio Humberside. "I was absolutely buzzing to make my Premier League debut and I haven't looked back since.
"Of course life in the Premier League is tough, it is a challenge every week, but I'm absolutely loving every single minute of it. I've worked my entire career to be able to give myself a chance to get to this moment, so why would I not enjoy every single minute of this opportunity?
"Unfortunately, you're always going to have people that are trying to pull you down. It is a tough position, I don't understand the negativity sometimes around not just me, but around everything.
"I was brought up to wish people well and back your own, even if you don't quite see eye to eye. You hear things and see things, of course you do, but it almost gets to a point where it's laughable.
"I'm in a really good spot so it's one of them things where you think: 'OK, no problem. I'm enjoying my life, that's for sure'."
When asked if he has ever felt the need to channel a siege mentality, right-back Coyle replied: "Not really. I have my own ways of going through life and attacking each day.
"Everybody is different but I don't have the energy to spend time worrying about what other people's opinions and views are of me or my team. But, ultimately, I'm a professional footballer but also a human being."
Listen to Coyle's full interview by pressing play below or on BBC Sounds here
Hull 1-1 Brentford - the fans' verdictpublished at 11:44 GMT 26 October
11:44 GMT 26 October
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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Hull and Brentford
Here are some of your comments:
Hull fans
Dave: I thought it was a fair result, Brentford certainly deserved a point, but so did Hull City overall. City were never going to get that many chances, so the one for Joe Gelhardt near the end was massive. It would have taken them past the 11-point mark a lot of people said they wouldn't get.
Rich: Decent performance for the Tigers, but need to start converting these draws into wins otherwise they'll get dragged into a relegation battle.
David: So much better than last week.
Justin: Great to see the team have restored their spirit after Fulham. Clearly international duty had a big impact on those players energy reserves who were on duty. A win against Brentford would have been great, but careful team development, confidence building and strengthening, hopefully will pay dividends later in the year. You can see the beginnings of real depth in the squad, but now we need crucial wins to start coming. Well done! UTT
Brentford fans
David: Unfortunate penalty to concede. However, with our squad and ambitions to be in Europe we should have still gone on to win. Thiago played OK. Just doesn't looked like he is going to score goals anytime soon. Both sides probably thought they should have come away with three points. End to end stuff in the last 20 minutes. Very entertaining.
Alan: Everyone seems downbeat, but it's still a point away. With players to come back, they will make things better. Win next game and maybe a point away is not so bad.
Paul: Pretty poor display by the Bees, too many players lacking confidence. Think Keith Andrews has got to be strong and give the big names that aren't performing a rest and try something different...
Sampson: Solid performance from the Bees. Dango Outtara back to his best is nice to see. The penalty was a bit soft but overall, I think a draw was a fair result. Bring on Nottingham Forest!
Across all competitions, Hull are unbeaten across their last nine home games (W3 D6), last enjoying a longer such run between November 2018 and April 2019 (12 games).
Analysis: Positive performance but wins neededpublished at 16:39 GMT 25 October
16:39 GMT 25 October
Gary Rose BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Hull will be disappointed not have got the win on home soil but this was a positive result and performance after the concerning loss at Fulham last time out.
They looked dreadful in that game, failing to have a shot on target and managing just 139 passes throughout the entire match.
They were much more competitive against a Brentford side who have started this season really well and arguably could have taken all three points but for some poor finishing.
Aside from Mohamed Belloumi and Mohamed-Ali Cho's chances, Joe Gelhardt also spurned a good opportunity to snatch it late on when he fired wide despite being picked out by a good cross in the middle of the box.
Hull will take the point and improved display but after winning their first two games on their return to the Premier League they are now winless in six and know they will need to start picking up victories soon to avoid getting sucked towards the bottom of the table.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Brighton" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Sunderland match", for example.
New this season: Live match updates
Fans of Premier League clubs can now get real-time scores live on their phone lock screen for every game.
Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.
Sutton's predictions: Hull City v Brentfordpublished at 11:14 GMT 25 October
11:14 GMT 25 October
Although Hull City have made a great start I still think they will get relegated.
We know they will have a go at Brentford, but the Bees will be too smart for them.
Brentford would have beaten Liverpool last week without Yehor Yarmoliuk's stupid red card. If they can keep 11 men on the pitch, they will win this one.
Hull City v Brentford: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 13:34 BST 24 October
13:34 BST 24 October
Matthew Hobbs BBC Sport journalist
Hull City face Brentford for the first time in a top-flight fixture. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes going into their meeting at MKM Stadium on Sunday.
Hull find themselves in the paradoxical situation of having made a strong start to the season despite failing to win any of their past five matches.
That run has included draws with both Chelsea and Everton after falling behind, while history suggests that Hull's tally of nine points after seven matches offers an excellent chance of Premier League survival.
Of the 13 promoted teams to have amassed exactly nine points at this stage, only five went on to be relegated. The most recent of those was Norwich City in 2015-16.
The bedrock of Hull's early promise has been an unbeaten start at home, with a win and two draws so far. Across the past 11 seasons, the only two promoted teams to remain undefeated in their first four home games were Wolves in 2018-19 and Sunderland last season. They both went on to finish in seventh.
The Tigers' success so far, both home and away, has been built on picking the right moment to go after opposing teams.
They rank just 15th in the Premier League for high turnovers (defined as winning the ball within 40 metres of your opponent's goal), yet only three teams have recorded more shots that have originated from a high turnover.
In other words, Hull City are selective as to when they press but often do so effectively in dangerous areas.
Image caption,
Hull have pressed effectively this season
Hull next face a Brentford side who have conceded more high turnovers than any Premier League side other than Aston Villa; an unwelcome statistic for a visiting team with an unwelcome habit of throwing away points this season.
Two red cards were reasonable mitigation for Brentford's 2-1 loss to Liverpool last weekend, a game in which they took the lead through Keane Lewis-Potter. It means that Brentford have now dropped an unrivalled 11 points from winning positions in 2026-27.
If ill-discipline and late goals have both been factors in Brentford's failure to see out games, so too has been the form of forward Igor Thiago.
The Brazil international was a vital part of their success last season and scored 22 goals, but he has managed just one in seven outings so far this season, despite an expected goals total of 3.69 - compromising Brentford's ability to kill off matches.
Thiago, though, can take confidence from his record against promoted clubs, scoring six goals in his past six Premier League appearances against them.
If Thiago's form was to improve this weekend, it could end a curious hoodoo for the Bees: they have not won a top-flight match in Yorkshire since 1947, drawing four and losing one of their five visits in the Premier League.
Jakirovic on team fitness, being 'braver' and facing Brentfordpublished at 13:52 BST 23 October
13:52 BST 23 October
Katie Stafford BBC Sport journalist
Media caption,
Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Brentford at MKM Stadium (kick-off 14:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Jakirovic confirmed they have "more options" going into Sunday's game within the squad so there are likely to be "a few" changes to his starting XI.
Defender Nobel Mendy is back on the grass and is expected to re-join team training on Monday.
Following the defeat by Fulham, Jakirovic said they have "had all week to train and try to improve things".
The Tigers boss added: "If you play this level without aggression, contact or trying to win the second balls, then you will create problems and that happened. We must be braver on Sunday."
He insisted they "must show a reaction" now against Brentford and "fight for every inch of the pitch" because it was the "attitude" and "fight" that was missing against Fulham.
On opponents Brentford: "They are a big challenge for us. I've watched almost every game, and they have everything for this level. They have height, intensity and speed. They play on the front foot. It will be an interesting game."
Hit play above to hear more from Jakirovic, speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, or listen on BBC Sounds here
Hull lose momentum - but Bees' suspensions gives Tigers hopepublished at 16:04 BST 21 October
16:04 BST 21 October
Media caption,
Hull City fan Ryan Frankish has given his verdict on the Tigers' defeat by Fulham, explains why he's not panicking yet, and reveals the changes he'd make before a huge clash with Brentford.
"It cannot get any worse than it did against Fulham. That is one of the worst Hull City performances I have seen in years. We were terrible," Frankish said.
"It is undoubtedly the worst performance we have had under Sergej Jakirovic.
"Misplaced passes. Disorganised at the back. Everything that needed to be done, did not get done in that game. It seemed like there was no real gameplan.
"We had absolutely no outlet on the left-hand side. Everything was going to the right and that was making us predictable. Louis Coyle did not fancy carrying the ball up the pitch that much, and Mohamed Belloumi couldn't string a pass together.
"The rare chance Belloumi got through, he just didn't pass to Oli McBurnie, who is crying out for a goalscoring chance. It was one of those that we sweep away because we know that is not the real level.
"We know our boys can play better than that. At the moment, I am not getting myself worked up.
"When you are realistic and see it in black and white - Fulham were the worst team in the Premier League at 14:29 on Sunday, but we just didn't get the job done.
"A 1-0 scoreline does us so much justice because we could have lost that 5-0.
"Brentford getting both of their central midfielders sent off in the 2-1 loss to Liverpool is huge. That really does give us a fighting chance.
"Brentford is one of the toughest games you will face in the Premier League when you're a newly promoted team because there is zero arrogance, just hard work and quality.
"We need to match that."
Listen to more from Ryan by pressing play above or on BBC Sounds here
'We need to make sure this never happens again'published at 14:30 BST 19 October
14:30 BST 19 October
Media caption,
Fulham "deserved the win" on Saturday, says Hull City defender Semi Ajayi.
The Tigers suffered their second defeat of the season in a 1-0 loss at Craven Cottage, and Ajayi believes his team have learned how easy it is to "get punished" if you aren't at the top of your game in the Premier League.
"We just weren't good enough and they were better, they absolutely deserved the win and we need to put it right for the games coming forward," Ajayi told BBC Radio Humberside.
"I can't really put my finger on it. It wasn't a matter of desire. We know how important it was and we came here for the three points, but we were just second to everything.
"The gaffer tried to change things at half-time and put a rocket up us, but it didn't have the desired effect We still weren't really at the level in the second half and they deserved the win.
"We definitely were surprised with the levels we were at and I think it's a learning curve for us. Now this league has shown us if you're even 5% off it, you'll get punished, and we need to make sure this never happens again."
Image source, Getty Images
