Hull City are enjoying a remarkable start to the season after being tipped to struggle badly under Sergej Jakirovic
Hull City celebrate after their first goal, scored by Mohamed Belloumi (Image: Getty Images)
Hull City have been ranked the 35th-best team in world football following their incredible start to the season under Sergej Jakirovic. The Tigers earned promotion to the Premier League in May after beating Middlesbrough in the Championship playoff final.
But despite earning their place in English football’s top tier, many tipped Jakirovic’s team to struggle. However, City proved many wrong from their first fixture back in the Premier League since 2015.
The Tigers stunned Manchester United, who finished third last term, beating Michael Carrick’s team 2-0. That victory has been part of an unbeaten start to the league campaign, with last Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Chelsea another notable highlight.
And Opta have reflected Hull’s brilliant start in their latest power rankings – putting the Tigers 35th in their global list.
The ranking system assigns an ability score to over 13,500 men’s domestic football teams on a scale between zero and 100, where zero is the worst-ranked team in the world and 100 is the best team in the world.
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Jakirovic admitted earlier this month that he would have signed immediately for Hull’s start before a ball was kicked but still sees room for improvement.
Speaking after the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa, he said: “I would sign immediately if you’d offered me. Immediately.
“But also it’s great for us that we show that we can compete on this level, that we can be dangerous, that we can maybe play some situations better in possession because you need confidence.
“But, still, we are growing here. In every game we will grow and we will be better.”
Hull owner Acun Ilıcalı, meanwhile, has described it as a “dream start”, but urged calm and maintained that survival remains their sole priority.
The 57-year-old said: “Starting the Premier League campaign with 7 points and three consecutive clean sheets is a fantastic accomplishment for our players and staff.
“However, we must keep our feet firmly on the ground. This is the most competitive league in world football.
“Our single, absolute objective this season is to secure Premier League status and establish ourselves permanently at this level. Anything beyond that is a bonus.”