Hull’s unbeaten start to life back in the Premier League continued as Sergej Jakirovic’s surprise package ended a breathless week by holding rebuilding Aston Villa to a 0-0 draw.
Six deadline-day signings were followed by the Tigers handing new contracts to six of their Championship play-off heroes and the manager who masterminded their top-flight return.
Hull secured another positive result on Saturday evening, when Mohamed Belloumi went agonisingly close to adding another victory to their Manchester United and Coventry triumphs when rattling the crossbar in the second half.
Emiliano Buendia wasted the best Villa opening as Unai Emery’s new-look side picked up their first point of the season, but their wait to score a Premier League goal continues.
There were some promising moments but plenty of work remains for the Spanish coach, whose side kick-off their Champions League campaign at Club Brugge on Tuesday.
Hull ended on top but Villa made the brighter start at the MKM Stadium, where smoke from the pre-match pyrotechnics had barely cleared when Nicolas Jackson nodded across the face of goal.
The striker should have tested Konstantinos Tzolakis and Villa would muster their first shot on target of the Premier League season in the 13th minute, albeit George Hemmings was denied.
It was not one-way traffic as Hull threatened down the flanks, like they did in the opening weekend shock against United, and physical Oli McBurnie proved a handful.
Ross Barkley tried to spark a cagey first half into life with a shot that Tzolakis got a fingertip to and Hull took aim from distance through Belloumi and Regan Slater.
Villa penalty appeals for a Nobel Mendy challenge on Jackson in stoppage time fell on deaf ears and the visitors returned with the bit between their teeth.
John McGinn lacked finesse at the end of a sharp move when clipping the ball off target when trying to beat Tzolakis, with another wasted opportunity soon following.
Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki clipped a wonderful ball to the left and Hemmings cut inside with some quick feet, with both of their efforts deserving better than the ballooned Buendia finish that followed.
Emery’s men were showing flashes of their potential but looked disjointed on the whole, with Jakirovic turning to deadline-day signings Sorba Thomas and Brooke Norton-Cuffy to change the dynamics.
The latter introduced himself with a rapid burst down the flank and deflected cross that Suzuki pushed over his own goal, with the resulting corner leaving mouths agape.
Belloumi played short to Slater, who killed the ball for the Algeria international to whip a wonderful left-footed strike that beat Suzuki and rattled the bar.
Both managers rung changes in a bid to eke out a winner, with exasperated Emery teased by the home fans after his last two alterations seemed unprepared to come on.
Debutant Mohamed-Ali Cho forced a late save and McBurnie mishit a glorious late Ryan Giles cross as Hull pushed for a winner on a night they end second in the Premier League.
