Newcastle bounce back from heavy Leeds defeat to inflict Hull's first Premier League loss

Newcastle wasted no time asserting their dominance following a severe 4-1 loss to Leeds last Monday. Willock opened the scoring just three minutes into the match, firing past Konstantinos Tzolakis.

The Hull goalkeeper, a £20 million summer signing, had only conceded twice previously. Four minutes later, Hall doubled the lead. The defender, recently recalled to the England squad, exchanged crisp passes with Harvey Barnes before sweeping a low shot into the bottom corner. The quickfire double left Jakirovic’s side stunned, but the newly promoted visitors refused to fold despite the early setback.

Matthias Jaissle faced severe selection headaches, with Tino Livramento becoming the latest casualty. A hamstring injury sustained on Friday meant the right-back joined an absentee list of eight senior players.

Despite fielding a youthful midfield featuring 18-year-old Sean Steur, the hosts maintained pressure. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Newcastle earned a penalty when Sorba Thomas brought down Jacob Murphy. Yoane Wissa took the resulting spot-kick, but his under-powered effort was smartly saved by Tzolakis. Meanwhile, Hull started to test the makeshift home side, with Thomas narrowly missing a chance to convert a cross from Matt Crooks at the near post.

As the second half progressed, Jaissle introduced Fabian Schär for a tiring Steur, shifting Newcastle to an unfamiliar back three. The tactical adjustment backfired almost immediately. A defensive mix-up involving Lewis Miley allowed Mohamed Belloumi to dispossess him and set up substitute Mohamed-Ali Cho.

The former England youth international curled a precise left-footed strike past Lukas Hornicek from close range to narrow the deficit. From that moment, Hull laid siege to the Newcastle penalty area, launching a barrage of crosses and shots in search of an equaliser, turning the final stages into a desperate defensive operation for the hosts.

The victory means Newcastle have climbed to eighth on eight points, sitting just behind seventh-placed Hull on goal difference. Following the upcoming international break, Jaissle’s side will look to build momentum when they face Coventry City. Meanwhile, Hull must regroup after suffering their first loss after two wins and two draws, as Jakirovic prepares his squad to play Everton.