Bruno Fernandes calls for Manchester United support after Hull City defeat

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes says the club need the backing of their supporters after a 2-0 defeat by Hull City in the opening round of the Premier League.

The loss was decided by goals from Semi Ajayi and Noble Mendy, with Fernandes blaming Manchester United’s failure to defend set pieces for the result.

“We know that these kinds of away grounds are difficult in the Premier League. You have to match the intensity and aggression of the opposition. The two goals we conceded from set pieces cost us the game today,” Fernandes told TNT Sports.

Manchester United were unable to respond after Hull City established their advantage, suffering defeat in their first league match of the season.

Fernandes said the squad understood the frustration surrounding the result but urged supporters to remain behind the team as the campaign begins.

“We understand the frustration. At the beginning of every season, we want to compete and win every game, but we need the fans to support us and to believe in ourselves,” he added.

The match also marked Marcus Rashford’s first Premier League appearance for Manchester United since 7 December 2024. The forward came on at the start of the second half.

Hull City’s victory was notable for several reasons. It was their first goal in the Premier League since they scored in a 7-1 defeat by Tottenham in 2017.

The result was also Hull City’s first-ever win against Manchester United.

Manchester United’s defeat set another unwanted record for the club. For the first time in their history, they have lost their opening league fixture of a season against a team that had only recently been promoted.

Before this match, Manchester United had won 10 of their first 13 such opening-day games against newly promoted opposition, with the other three ending in draws.

Fernandes’ comments reflect the scale of the disappointment at Manchester United, who had hoped to begin the new Premier League campaign with a victory. Instead, two failures to deal with set-piece situations handed Hull City a historic result and left the visitors needing to recover quickly from an unexpectedly difficult start.