Hull City

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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

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!

Sergej Jakirovic's thoughts after Hull City's 1-1 draw against Brentford.

Press play below or listen on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

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).

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.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Hull City's performance

What did you make of Brentford's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

There are five games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Crystal Palace v Newcastle

• Hull City v Brentford

• Liverpool v Brighton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Manchester United v Bournemouth - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Sunderland v Leeds (16:30)- listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 GMT unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

How to follow the Premier League weekend across the BBC

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.

Find out more here

Image source, BBC Sport

New this season: Match of the Day Predictor

Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

Read more about it here

You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

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.

Sutton's prediction: 0-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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.

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.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

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

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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

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."

Hear Ajayi's full reaction above or on BBC Sounds here

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Fulham and Hull City.

Here are some of your comments:

Fulham fans

Rohan: A good all-round performance. It really could have been three or four goals but what matters now is the three points. If we keep playing like that, but being more clinical, we could have a chance at a successful season.

Campbell: After watching the game, it was certainly a deserved win, but chances being missed by Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia still leave some room for improvement and I fear that if we fail to make these kinds of chances count, other teams will.

Andrew: Totally dominating performance. Hull were not effective in any area of the game. But if Fulham want to win more games, they have to be more clinical in front of goal, otherwise it's going to be a long season.

Quinn: A big relief. The team are fighting, that's all we can really ask. Alvaro Arbeloa is also learning - if he did what he was doing now at the beginning of the season, I believe we would be in a different position. Water under the bridge. Success will undoubtedly be avoiding relegation, so a long slog. Keep going, we're behind you.

Hull City fans

David: Hull, in all honesty, were as bad as a team can get. Let's hope it's a one-off. The manager, as well as the team, got it wrong today, but whatever format you play, it doesn't excuse not clearing your lines time and again.

Owen: Definitely below par. Gave the ball away too many times. We know they can do better and hopefully they will regroup for the game against Brentford.

Billy: I think we have made an amazing start to the season, but that was absolutely unacceptable. Every player from back to front was second best. The midfield was completely outplayed and Oli McBurnie is just so far off it. Much-needed improvement next week is needed. Even Mohamed Belloumi was off it - I can't remember a point where he threatened.

Bear: If it was a boxing match, it would have been stopped at half-time. So, so poor from Hull. Well played Fulham, we dust ourselves down and go again.

Tim Abraham
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

This was an afternoon that is unlikely to linger long in the minds of the Hull fans venturing back on the East Coast Main Line or via the M1.

The Tigers failed to register a single shot on target during the entire contest.

Not one.

It was the first time they failed to do so in a Premier League game since they played Crystal Palace in May 2017.

They spent most of the game attempting to win the ball back, but Fulham's backline proved able to handle things whenever the Tigers went direct.

Chances were few and far between as a result.

Coach Sergej Jakirovic's face was etched with thunder when Mohamed Belloumi lifted a late opportunity from a free-kick high into the stands.

At least his side managed to hang on, always within touching distance, in a game when really the home side should have been out of sight.

That might bode well for Hull in the long run, even if Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno collected the easiest clean-sheet bonus of his career.

The worry for Jakirovic would be that this insipid performance seeps into their next few games.

Hull will not want the honeymoon period of their top-flight return to be over just yet.

Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It's easy to analyse this game; we were out of everything. Fulham were much better than us in many terms, in and out of possession, first and second balls, duels. It was men against boys. We didn't show anything today. But we cannot change anything now.

"The performances of Fulham have been good; they should have more points. We knew it would be tough today. We were completely out of it today.

"It was very frustrating, maybe we had some situations around the box but made wrong decisions. They were much more aggressive than us and could have scored more."

On the injury sustained by Robinio Vaz: "He got a kick on the Achilles, it's very bad. He will have a scan to see the damage."

Did you know?

• Hull completed just 139 passes against Fulham, their lowest in a Premier League match since February 2010 (134 against Blackburn Rovers).

• Having won their first two Premier League games this season, Hull are now winless in their last five (D3 L2).

Listen to more from Jakirovic below or on BBC Sounds here

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Fulham's performance

What did you make of Hull City's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Everton v Chelsea (12:30)

• Brentford v Liverpool - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Fulham v Hull City

• Manchester City v Ipswich Town - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Newcastle United v Aston Villa (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

How to follow the Premier League weekend across the BBC

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Brentford v Liverpool" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Ipswichmatch", 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.

Find out more here

Image source, BBC Sport

New this season: Match of the Day Predictor

Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

Read more about it here

You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

This feels like a massive game for Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa, who is still waiting for his first league win.

They had it in the bag against Ipswich last week so losing that game so late on was just desperate for them.

I've watched Fulham a couple of times this season, against Liverpool and Manchester United, and they played well both times without getting over the line.

After this game, they go to Coventry next. I know the Cottagers are not a club known for going through managers but if they lose this then the pressure will really be on Arbeloa.

Hull, in contrast, will be relishing this after the start they have made.

Their identity is as a team who will have a real go at you and their approach is a bit like a bull in a china shop.

It has been working pretty well so far and I think they will fancy their chances against a Fulham side who might be lacking a bit of belief.

Despite that, I am going to go with Fulham here. I don't think their results have really reflected their performances so far, but that might change on Saturday.

Sutton's prediction: 3-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Saturday's match (15:00 BST), the 100th meeting between Fulham and Hull City.

Pressure building on Arbeloa

Fulham's collapse at Ipswich Town, where they led until the 88th minute but lost 2-1, means the Cottagers remain without a league victory under new boss Alvaro Arbeloa. Scrutiny of the Spaniard will continue to grow unless he wins this game, the second of three consecutive matches against newly promoted opposition.

Arbeloa says his side need to change their mentality after scoring, complaining that at Portman Road, and to some extent against Manchester United a week earlier, the Londoners became "very direct" after going in front, surrendering possession cheaply and inviting pressure.

Only Bournemouth have dropped more points from winning positions in the current campaign than Fulham, who have let eight points slip, just three fewer than across the whole of last season. The Whites are also conceding late goals at an alarming rate, having shipped a league-high five from the 75th minute onwards.

Arbeloa's side have probably played better than their results suggest, but performances alone will not ease the pressure on the former Real Madrid head coach. Fulham are in danger of failing to win any of their opening seven top-flight games for the first time since 1951, when they went on to finish bottom.

Belloumi making his mark

Hull City claimed their first Premier League win by beating Fulham in 2008 and have a good record in this fixture, losing just one of six meetings with the Cottagers in the competition.

The Tigers marked their return to the top flight by winning their opening two league games this season and keeping clean sheets in their first three matches. However, their defence has looked more vulnerable since then, conceding twice in each of their past three outings. The absence of record signing Nobel Mendy, who is ruled out with a groin injury, could further weaken their backline.

Hull nevertheless head to west London in good spirits after coming from 2-1 down to earn a point against Everton last weekend, courtesy of an equaliser from substitute Mohamed Belloumi.

The newly promoted side spent £146m this summer on 18 signings in an attempt to bridge the gulf in quality, but Algeria international Belloumi, now in his third season at the club, has coped impressively with the step up.

The 24-year-old already has three goals and two assists, and is averaging a Premier League goal involvement every 85 minutes. That is the best rate by any Hull player to have made at least five appearances in the competition.

George Booth
BBC Sport journalist

Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Fulham at Craven Cottage (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Jakirovic provided an update on team news: "We had a good recovery and a short week for us, but now they're all ready for Saturday. We have good options, but also with [Hidemasa] Morita, [Matt] Targett, Elliot [Matazo], [Brooke] Norton-Cuffy, we have a few good options."

• The Tigers boss confirmed it was "normal" for Mohamed Belloumi to feel "fatigue" after returning from international duty, adding: "If a player approached you and said, 'Boss, I am not feeling good, I am a little bit exhausted,' this is normal because we have other options. We have [Joe] Gelhardt, who scored the goal [against Everton], which is perfect when you have a lot of quality in that position. Mo came in and also scored, which is great for the team."

• Although Gelhardt started and scored in the Everton game, the 24-year-old has a "lack of rhythm" due to missing pre-season with injury: "He delivered 15 goals last season, so we know what he is capable of. He is one more option. I am glad this quality in this position."

• Jakirovic insisted Hull's away visit to Fulham will be a "difficult game" and that Alvaro Arbeloa's side have been "unlucky with some games" this campaign.

• On Arbeloa being under pressure with the Spaniard's side sitting bottom of the table: "Every head coach is under pressure. We have to play a good game there and have good energy. I will not say we are favourites, we can play 50-50 games. Also, we have our qualities. We have our tactical plan, so we will try to use this."

• Scotland international Oli McBurnie has featured in six games for the Tigers this season, but is yet to score. However, the Hull boss believes a "goal will come" for the 30-year-old: "He is working a lot for the team for sure. It is very important for me that he is there and that we create the chance for him. If we create a chance for him, then he will score the goal."

Listen to more from Jakirovic, speaking to BBC Radio Humberside's James Hoggarth, above or or BBC Sounds here