Seven points from three games — is Hull's strong start a sign of survival?
Hull City have taken seven points and kept three clean sheets in their opening three Premier League matches since promotion, though head coach Sergej Jakirovic urges caution against reading too much into it.
Hull City have made an eye-catching return to the Premier League, collecting seven points from a possible nine across their first three matches while keeping a clean sheet in all of them. The club sits only two points behind early leaders Manchester City.
Head coach Sergej Jakirovic, speaking after a goalless draw with Aston Villa, joked about talk of a Champions League push before stressing it remains far too early to draw conclusions. Still, he acknowledged the start has been a major confidence boost. Defender John Egan said the opening-day win over Manchester United set the tone for the squad.
Historically, no newly promoted side has been relegated after taking seven or more points from their first three top-flight games. Only three clubs overall have gone down after such a start — Wolves in 2011-12, West Brom in 2017-18 and Leeds United in 2022-23.
Hull's turnaround is striking given the club narrowly avoided relegation to League One on goal difference just over a year ago. Jakirovic guided them through the play-offs, including a win over Millwall, before securing promotion. This summer Hull were the Premier League's busiest club in the transfer market, making 18 signings for around £150m.
Defensively, the side has been exceptional — only Charlton in 1998-99 and Huddersfield Town in 2017-18 previously kept clean sheets in their first three post-promotion league games. Hull have done this while holding just 29% possession on average, among the lowest figures recorded in the past two decades.
Jakirovic said the club's target is to reach around 38-40 points as quickly as possible to secure their Premier League status.
