Manchester United suffering a difficult start as they are this season is not such a new thing in the Premier League. Likewise, a promoted side getting off to a flyer is common to see. This year Hull have done well and currently sit 10th after nine games, but in 2008 - their first time in the Premier League - they were surprising everyone.
On this day in 2008, Hull were still unbeaten away from home and had developed something of a knack for coming from behind. In their opening game of the season at home to Fulham they turned around an early Seol Ki-Hyeon goal to win a Premier League game at the first time of asking and managed to do the same to Arsenal at the end of September.
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The opening-day win was looking just to be a flash in the pan as it was followed up by a draw against Blackburn Rovers and then a heavy 5-0 home defeat to Wigan Athletic. However, they had won five of seven games heading into their trip to Old Trafford which meant that they were high on confidence.
Hull were a lofty third at the time, with United two points behind them. Having beaten West Ham United in their previous game and seen Chelsea put three past Hull just three days before they might well have fancied their chances. Going five points behind Hull with the table beginning to take shape was not an acceptable outcome for Sir Alex Ferguson.
Phil Brown's side might on occasion have forgotten how to defend as they had against Chelsea and Wigan earlier in the season, but they made up for that with their free-scoring attacking game. The 10 league games involving Hull to this point had 28 goals, and this one was to be no exception to that rule.
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When sides go behind at Old Trafford there is a tendency for them to just give up the ghost and go home - it is not a place where goals for away teams have been easy to come by. Hull, however, refused to give up once and what should have been a comfortable home win turned into very nearly two points thrown away.
Cristiano Ronaldo - who else at this time? - opened the scoring after just three minutes, which suggested Hull were in for a long afternoon. They battled back well and pulled level through Daniel Cousin's near-post header mid-way through the first half, but they were not to be in touch again until late in the second half.
Before the game Hull had conceded just three away from home all season, but they had doubled that by the end of one half at Old Trafford. Michael Carrick finished off a flowing move with a left-footed drive before Ronaldo headed in a corner for a 4-1 lead at half time.
When Nemanja Vidic scored early in the second half the contest looked over, but Hull were still riding the wave of momentum and managed to get back to 4-3 with goals from Bernard Mendy and a Geovanni penalty.
However, it was not to be despite the late rally and United held on for three points that moved them above their opponents into third in the league. And they did not look back. They improved from that point on and defended their trophy on May 16 with a 0-0 draw against Arsenal.
For Hull it was a turning point of a different kind. They won just twice more in the league all season to survive by the skin of Brown's teeth. Unfortunately, that did not stop the karaoke on the last day of the season at home to the Red Devils.
Matt Domm
