Manchester United make disastrous start to Premier League season with defeat to newly-promoted Hull

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Sergej Jakirovic’s play-off winners were written off by nearly every pundit before a ball was kicked.

But the Tigers roared to a remarkable, and thoroughly deserved, opening weekend win courtesy of a pair of first half set pieces.

Semi Ajayi opened the scoring after United failed to deal with a corner and Michael Carrick’s men were again found wanting when Regan Slater sent in a free-kick for debutant Nobel Mendy to nod home.

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The Red Devils boss, handed the permanent job in May, warned of a challenging start in East Yorkshire but he could not have foreseen such a meek display from his side months after finishing third.

Carrick has plenty to mull over following United’s alarming first ever Premier League loss to Hull, whose first top-flight match since 2017 will live long in the memory.

Oli McBurnie would have nodded Hull into a fifth minute lead was it not for a smart clearance, with the striker soon seeing a booming header denied by Senne Lammens.

A 17th minute corner sparked bedlam. Slater’s driven ball was flicked on and McBurnie saw an effort superbly pushed onto the far post by Lammens, only for the ball to fall for Ajayi to slam home.

It was an astonishing moment that the ineffective Patrick Dorgu tried to cancel out, but a passive United lacked a focal point and Hull would punish them from another set piece.

Debutant Youri Tielemans brought down Mohamed Belloumi outside the box and Slater whipped in a fine free-kick that Mendy headed beyond Lammens in the 38th minute.

Substitute Cody Drameh fired just wide as Hull sought a third, with Mbeumo lifting over before seeing another effort denied by Tzolakis