Hull City maintained their perfect start to the Premier League season with a 1-0 victory over Coventry City on Sunday, marking the Sky Blues’ return to top-flight football after a 25-year absence. Liam Millar scored the decisive goal for Hull in the 82nd minute, securing their second consecutive win and preserving their record of not conceding in the opening fixtures.
The match, held at Coventry's home ground, saw Hull build on last week’s shock win against Manchester United. Substitute Millar, who had missed a similar opportunity moments earlier, was praised by teammate Oli McBurnie for demonstrating composure and determination in converting his second chance. McBurnie highlighted the difficulty for strikers in such moments, noting Millar’s “massive guts” to finish confidently after initially misfiring.
Hull’s strong start has challenged early predictions that they could rival Derby County’s record low Premier League points tally of 11. McBurnie joked about these expectations, saying the team’s performance so far contradicted their reputation as potential league strugglers.
Coventry manager Frank Lampard acknowledged the pressure his team faced returning to the Premier League and suggested it may have contributed to their nervousness. “Maybe,” Lampard said when asked if he sensed edginess in his players, though he refrained from using it as an excuse given the familiarity with Hull, whom they faced twice last season in the Championship. Coventry had suffered a 3-0 defeat at champions Arsenal in their opening match last week.
Despite narrowly missing out, Coventry arguably dominated much of the game and had several promising moments. Striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who recently scored his first goal for the club in the Carabao Cup, created danger early on but was denied by a block. Other attempts from Loum Tchaouna and Aurele Amenda failed to trouble the goalkeeper, while a notable chance arose after an error by Hull defender Nobel Mendy, though Awoniyi’s effort from the resulting rebound was saved.
Hull’s attacking threat primarily came through Elliot Stroud on the left flank. Stroud appealed for a penalty following a challenge inside the box, but the referee ruled it a fair shoulder-to-shoulder contest.
The pivotal moment came late in the second half when Mohamed Belloumi delivered a precise through ball to Millar, who calmly finished past Coventry’s keeper Carl Rushworth. Millar’s composed finish sparked celebration among the visiting supporters and delivered a blow to the home crowd’s hopes.
While it is still early in the campaign to predict which clubs might be involved in the relegation battle, the result will be valuable for Hull as the season progresses. Coventry, meanwhile, face a challenging schedule ahead, including a visit to Manchester City next week, and will be searching for their first Premier League points.