Hull City took the scenic route back to the Premier League. They began the final day of 2025/26 outside the Championship play-off places, climbed into sixth by beating Norwich and then made the opportunity count. A 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at Wembley ended a decade-long absence from the top flight.
The regular-season numbers were hardly dominant. Hull finished with 73 points from a 21-10-15 record, scoring 70 goals and conceding 66. That +4 goal difference looks unusually modest for a promoted side, and the underlying data was even stranger. Opta’s expected-points model had them 23rd rather than sixth.
Oli McBurnie provided the goals when they mattered. He scored 17 during the league campaign before grabbing the stoppage-time winner in the play-off final, taking his Championship tally to 18. It’s difficult to imagine Hull getting through that promotion race without him.
That makes the step up fascinating. Jakirović has strengthened the defensive spine over the summer, but Premier League opponents are unlikely to be as forgiving if Hull continue giving up chances at the same rate. Goals conceded, clean sheets and McBurnie’s ability to translate his scoring form to the top flight should tell us far more than possession percentages.
Hull City results and player numbers can be followed through BetVictor’s football stats coverage. The Premier League betting section gives the wider league picture, while Hull’s defensive record and goals per game should provide a pretty quick indication of how well they’ve adapted.
