Hull City

Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Everton at the MKM Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Jakirovic first provided an update in injuries and fitness: "We have some problems. Today [Matt] Targett twisted his ankle, so he is off for this game. [Hidemasa] Morita came back, Brooke Norton-Cuffy came back also in the training session."

• On feelings going into Everton game after the extended international break: "I have a few doubts because some players lack energy. It is normal and it is mental. Sometimes it is normal fatigue. It is my responsibility that I have to try to choose the right one."

• On the length of the break, he added: "It is a long break. We had 10 [senior] players in the building. A lot on international duties and thank God they come back healthy."

• Asked about playing back at MKM Stadium, he responded: "We have not played one month at home, so it is always a great opportunity on Sunday. Of course, we have a lot of space for improvement. We are doing this every day, so we are trying. Sometimes a small mistake at this level is a goal."

• On facing the Toffees: "Still unbeaten. It is very difficult to stay unbeaten. I think they're very pragmatic, they have high tactical discipline. Good players, international players of England. Also, [Jack] Grealish is there. Maybe he can be the difference at any time. They have experience at this level. I am expecting a difficult game on Sunday, but they also have pros and cons, so we will try to use these cons."

• On their boss David Moyes: "I call this type of coach an old fox. They know everything about football, they have a lot of experience."

Hit play above to hear more from Jakirovic or listen on BBC Sounds here

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Hull City are close to signing Deniz Donmezer, an 18-year-old goalkeeper at Turkish side Kayserispor, for a fee of £1.5m. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Just five games in, it might seem a bit early to pay much attention to the Premier League table - but it's probably more settled than you think.

If we look at the Premier League after five games last season and where teams ultimately ended up, the final table was already starting to take shape as 13 of the 20 sides finished within four places of where they sat even at this early stage (65%).

Eventual champions Arsenal were second, Sunderland were already seventh - where they finished eight months later - and two of the three sides that were relegated were already in the bottom three.

The eventual champions have been in the top two at this point in the past four campaigns, suggesting - potential punishments aside - it will be Manchester City or Arsenal that lifts the trophy.

The top end of the table overall has sometimes settled surprisingly quickly in recent years. The top eight after five games in 2024-25 finished as the top eight at the end of that season (although not in the same order), while the top six in 2019-20 and top seven in 2016-17 were also in place at this early stage.

While being top after five games has not meant much in recent seasons, being bottom certainly has.

Tottenham could well be in trouble once again as the side bottom of the Premier League after five games has been relegated in six of the past seven seasons.

Being bottom this early did not used to be such a bad omen. Between 2013-14 and 2018-19, only one of the six sides that were propping up the table after five games ended up going down - Newcastle in 2015-16 - while Crystal Palace finished as high as 11th in 2017-18.

Looking at the relegation battle more broadly, at least one of the teams in the bottom three at this stage has been relegated in the past eight seasons - so one of Tottenham, Fulham and Coventry City are very likely to be heading to the Championship in May.

The pool of contestants for this season's relegation battle may already be decided too because the three sides that ultimately went down in the past three seasons were all in the bottom six after five games, which would add Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace to the mix.

The last sides to be outside the bottom six at this point but relegated were Leeds United and Southampton in 2022-23, who were both in the top half (seventh and ninth). With their teams currently in eighth and 11th place, Hull City and Ipswich Town fans will hope that is still the case at the end of this campaign.

While the season may well have barely begun, the Premier League table is already starting to take shape.

Read the piece in full here

Hull City goalkeeping coach Erbil Bozkurt confirmed Jack Butland is "towards the end of rehab" after injuring his arm in pre-season.

The former Rangers shotstopper joined Hull in July 2026 for an undisclosed fee on a two-year contract, but is yet to feature in Sergej Jakirovic's side.

Bozkurt said: "He is very, very close [to returning to the matchday squad].

"Before he picked up his injury, he was really supportive and helped Konstantinos Tzolakis to settle in quite well. We're looking forward to having him back, hopefully in a few weeks' time."

Before moving to Rangers, Butland spent seven years at Stoke City, making 77 Premier League appearances, and also featured in the top flight for Crystal Palace.

Tzolakis has started in goal in all five Premier League fixtures this season, and has conceded three goals in five matches.

"I think, of course, any injury is frustrating," added Bozkurt.

"The timing of Jack's one was more frustrating than anything. I think the way the injury happened, the timing of it, has not helped.

"He's a really experienced professional. He has had injuries in the past, and he knows how to overcome these things.

"You can see he is looking forward to it whenever we talk. He is really excited to be back on the grass with the team, so, hopefully, not too long."

Listen to more from Bozkurt below or on BBC Sounds here

Image source, Getty Images

A number of Premier League clubs want Manchester City to be hit with both "retrospective punishments" and sanctions for the future for their mass financial rule-breaking, sources have told BBC Sport.

An independent commission found City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

City have appealed against the verdict, while the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is poised to look at the findings to see if there may be any suggestions of potential misconduct.

However, there is said to be a consensus among a group of top-flight club executives that if City's appeal is unsuccessful, the sanctions should make reparations for the period when they broke the rules, while also limiting their powers in future.

There is also a feeling from at least four Premier League boardrooms that a "one-hit" points deduction resulting in relegation to the Championship would be an insufficient punishment given the severity of City's wrongdoing.

Read more on what rival clubs want

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Hull City's direct style has helped make them the top flight's surprise package in the early weeks of the season.

Sergej Jakirovic's side have played over 20% of their passes long, the highest proportion by a Premier League team in a campaign since Sean Dyche's Burnley in 2021-22.

The Tigers' approach was broadly similar in the Championship last term, when they played the second-most long passes and averaged only 45.7% possession, the 18th-lowest figure in the division.

Rather than trying to integrate 18 summer signings into a new, expansive system, Jakirovic has kept the gameplan simple. His side have been content to soak up pressure, fielding the league's second-deepest defensive line and hurting opponents through rapid transitions and set-pieces.

It helped that, until their defeat at Newcastle just before the international break, Hull City spent little time behind, leaving the onus on opponents to break them down. It remains to be seen whether their early success - which brought them eight points from their opening four games - is sustainable.

But they also overperformed despite unfavourable underlying numbers in the Championship in 2025-26.

Opta's expected points model, based on the quality of chances created and conceded in each game, calculated that Hull would typically have collected only 53 points, rather than the 73 they actually earned.

Image source, Getty Images

Hull City goalkeeper Dillon Phillips says he is "absolutely delighted" to commit his future to the club until June 2028.

The 31-year-old shotstopper has made six appearances for the club since signing on a free transfer from Rotherham Town in June 2025.

Philipps helped the Tigers in their promotion-winning campaign putting in a player of the match performance in a draw against Oxford United on his debut, and has started both Carabao Cup games this season.

"I'm absolutely delighted. I've loved my time here so far," Phillips said. "It's only been a year but with all the things the club has managed to achieve, it's been brilliant to be a part of it day to day.

"When I came here, promotion was not something I really expected. The group was tremendous to be a part of last season, the way we worked for each other every day.

"I like to be a big part of the dressing room with the boys, which is easy to do because the group is so good.

"Kostas [Tzolakis] and Jack [Butland] have come in this year, both at different stages of their careers, but with great profiles. There are things I can learn from them, and hopefully things they can take from me.

"Training with them, especially someone like Jack in pre-season, with the career he's had and playing for England, it's exciting knowing I'll be working with those two goalkeepers on a day-to-day basis.

"We have a good group of young goalkeepers and I like to play my part in trying to help them, while still trying to improve myself every day.

"I've loved working with Erbs [Erbil Bozkurt]. It's been excellent and we get on really well, on and off the pitch. He gets the best out of me and the other goalkeepers too."

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Sport fan contributor and Hull City supporter Ryan Frankish believes goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis "is a diamond in the rough" after his promising start to the season.

He said: "He's started the season immaculately for us. Three clean sheets in five games, and there's been some wonder saves in those matches.

"He has then taken this form into the international break. Greece beat Germany 1-0 with Tzolakis keeping a clean sheet and making five saves in the process. We need to highlight the talent that we have on our hands.

"The guy is 23 years old. His name is already being touted amongst the likes of Tottenham, Liverpool, Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid. We really have discovered a diamond in the rough.

"I don't want to be making hypothetical scenarios too much, but if Tzolakis carries this on, that is a big step in the right direction to Hull City retaining their Premier League status for the next season."

Listen to more from Frankish on BBC Sounds here

Image source, Getty Images

Football journalist Maher Mezahi believes Mohamed Belloumi will be unable to reach the level of his father, Lakhdar, despite his talent.

"As good of a player as he is, even if he scores 15 goals and provides 15 assists in the Premier League - incredible numbers which would be great for Hull City, Belloumi and Algeria - you have to understand that he is 24 years old, his father was playing for the Algerian national team at the senior level at 18 years of age," Mezahi told BBC Radio Humberside.

"At the 1980 Olympics he was performing well, at the 1982 World Cup he gets Algeria its first ever win at a World Cup and against West Germany. Between 1980 and 1990 his father is part of a generation that makes the semi-finals of an African Cup of Nations four times with two second-placed finishes and they win it in 1990.

"It really will be extremely, extremely difficult to catch his father who has, overall, when you talk about unofficial appearances, 147 for the Algeria national team and more than 30 goals.

"He's already made everybody proud, including his own father, so there's no need to try and be his father, he just has to be himself."

Listen to the full chat by hitting play below or on BBC Sounds here

Image source, Getty Images

When Hull City announced the signing of 18-year-old Australia defender Lucas Herrington from Colorado Rapids, the news was perhaps overshadowed by the arrival of record signing Nobel Mendy, who joined the Tigers on the same day.

But Herrington's beginning to life with Hull City, making three starts in seven appearances, has led to him being highlighted as one of Sergej Jakirovic's key summer recruits.

Alex O'Neill of Hull City Australia's supporters' club, told BBC Radio Humberside about the impact Herrington, now 19, is having down under.

"Everyone is going Lucas Herrington crazy. Everyone is fixated on him. I was in the pub for the Manchester United game and everyone was excited to see how he goes in the Premier League," said O'Neill.

"He has such a big future ahead of him. There's another level of expectation and another level of hype and excitement with him being in the Premier League with Hull City.

"As much as I love watching him play for City, I just can't help but feel he is going to go on to bigger things. He is that sort of player who has got huge potential."

Herrington became Australia's youngest player to start a game at the World Cup in the summer, and has represented the Socceroos in the international break against Brazil.

Listen to more from O'Neill below or on BBC Sounds here

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League has opened a Pandora's box of problems which cannot be closed. However well-intentioned, however morally upright they mean to be, the way the product is perceived around the planet by fans will be negatively affected.

This looks like a gigantic mess, but could also become a bit of a joke, especially if they attempt to rewrite history, and change the winners' names on the Premier League and cup trophies over these past 15 years. I wouldn't want the engraver's job.

I believe financial rules brought in to prioritise financial sustainability were also aimed at limiting the money being spent by the clubs, especially the staggering, ever-inflating sums spent on sometimes fairly average players. It could lead to a de facto salary cap, which many fans would approve of.

The long-term problem for the league is easy to see here: if the top players are then offered significantly more money to play elsewhere, they will be off before you can say 'man on'.

I always thought the Premier League had taken a huge risk going down this regulatory road. As with Manchester City's future, nobody knows what the real long-term ramifications will be.

I have a suspicion it could end up being the greatest own goal in the sport's entire history.

The big take: If City are cast out of England's top leagues, what might the owners do – hang around the lower reaches, or find something else? Wasn't there the idea of a Super League? Keep that thought in the back of your mind.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

Most of the time it is not that big a deal if you go into the international break having just lost a club game if I am honest, as teams lose games frequently.

That is just the life of a professional footballer. You have to be able to cope with disappointment as an individual and as a team.

‌Admittedly, players will sometimes say that they want another domestic game quickly, but it is almost always specifically after a 'bad' defeat as opposed to just a run-of-the-mill loss.

‌However, if the team has genuinely played terribly, or lost a game they were expected to win comfortably, you will commonly hear the phrase "we want to have a chance to get back out there and put it right quickly".

‌Players who have had a stinker, even if their team won, might also want to get out again as soon as possible to put it right in front of their fans, or 'reset'. The 'reset' argument is just current football jargon to say, "we will try to get it right next time, and we blew it this week, sorry".

‌The international break can also have the beneficial effect of taking your mind away from a bad defeat. This is not to say that you don't care, it is just that you must compartmentalise your thoughts and feelings. Footballers are among the best at this.

‌You simply cannot go to play for your national team and spend the time brooding about what happened against Brentford last week. That way lies madness and another poor performance, only this time in front of the entire nation.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

Newcastle United are keeping an eye on Rennes and Morocco defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, 20, but face competition from Hull, Everton and Brentford. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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We asked you to rate Hull City's start to the season and tell us what Sergej Jakirovic should be focusing on during this extended international break.

Here are some of your comments:

Chris: It is too early to speculate. The supporters should not expect too much, too soon. Let's just see what happens in the next few months.

Peter: Hull City are back on the map! We've only had half a dozen or so seasons in the top tier in our 122-year history, so fans are determined to enjoy every minute. The club and east Yorkshire hinterland are still buoyant and the fans buzzing with a feel-good factor. We have some Premier League-class players, plus in the summer window we have invested sensibly in some quality youth, with half an eye on resale value. The owner and head coach are superb. What you see is what you get. The amazing characters and their talk of Hull City and the fans being "one big family" is no myth.

Eddie: A great start and we were unlucky not to take a point against Newcastle. I love the manager's loyalty to the players who took us from the Championship. We now need to start thinking about starting some of the signings like Mohamed-Ali Cho and Robinio Vaz. Switching it around with different types of players will stop other teams sussing us out.

Ian: A very good start, but ideally we should have beaten Aston Villa and nicked a point at Newcastle. We are not dominating games and we don't have enough possession.

As we enter the season's first international break, we want to hear your thoughts on the opening five games of the Premier League.

After being written off before the season began, Sergej Jakirovic's newly promoted side has shown it can cause trouble in the final third against even the best in the league.

Two wins, two draws and one loss means the Tigers sit eighth in the table - making lots of pre-season predictions look foolish - going into the international break.

How do you rate Hull's start to the season and why? And what should Jakirovic be focusing on during the extended break?

Get in touch with your views here

Image source, Getty Images

"It meant everything to me because it is what I've been working towards my whole life," said Hull City winger Sorba Thomas after revealing his Premier League debut was a "pinch-me moment" on Instagram.

The 27-year-old has already made four appearance since signing a four-year contract at MKM Stadium on transfer deadline day, having scored 10 goals and contributed 13 assists in the Championship last season.

"It meant everything to me," Thomas told BBC Radio Humberside. "It is what I've been working towards my whole life. It is one of the best leagues in the world.

"I just wanted to say that I'd done it and for my kids to grow up feeling proud that their dad has played in the Premier League. For those reasons, it was an amazing moment.

"There's more to come from me. I'm just getting to grips with the different role that I'm playing, so I feel I'm just getting started. I'm excited for what I'm going to achieve this year."

Thomas also described his journey from being released by West Ham United's academy at 16 years old to being recruited by Hull City for their return to the Premier League.

"When I got released from West Ham United, there was a moment when I stopped playing football," he continued. "I didn't want to play any more so I went down the route of being a PE teacher and a personal trainer.

"It was the people at Boreham Wood and my family who basically said: 'You're not really good at anything else so you might as well play football again.'

"They pushed me to try again. My mind wasn't quite with it but, thankfully, they pushed and pushed.

"Boreham Wood gave me the platform to play in the Premier League today. I will forever be thankful to all of the teams involved in my journey, but especially to them."

Listen to the full interview below or listen on BBC Sounds

Hull City captain Lewie Coyle says he was "very proud" of the group's "never say die attitude" after conceding two early goals at St James' Park.

Newcastle United, who were 2-0 up within seven minutes of kick-off, ended the Tigers' unbeaten start to the Premier League season, despite Mohamed-Ali Cho pulling a goal back in the 67th minute.

"It is a tough result to take, especially when you look at the amount of chances we had at the end," Coyle told BBC Radio Humberside. "I'm so proud of the lads for how they responded after going two goals down in an incredibly tough atmosphere.

"If you're not made of the right stuff, that can be one of those games which ends in a bad fashion - but we showed a never-say-die attitude, which I know this group of players has got tenfold.

"A defeat is never nice, but our overall start to the season is really pleasing. I'm very proud of this group."

On the fighting spirit in the dressing room, he added: "That is one box that has never needed to be ticked in my mind with this group. We have an abundance of fight, spirit and determination - that's why we are in the Premier League.

"We went behind at Chelsea and we came back. We went behind against Newcastle United and, although we didn't get anything from the game, the way we responded was really pleasing.

"You never like to lose a game in football, but I can say that I'm very proud of the lads for the way we tried to get back into the game.

"Whatever was happening on the touchline just shows what it means to get three points, or even one point in the Premier League. Everybody is fighting for different goals, but everybody is fighting for the same goal on matchday.

"It just shows the level of passion that goes into trying to win a game of football. It will all be forgotten about - there are no grudges on our side because it is part and parcel of trying to win a game."

Listen to the full post-match interview by pressing play above or on BBC Sounds here

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Newcastle United and Hull City.

Here are some of your comments:

Newcastle fans

David: Newcastle did well to bounce back from the Leeds horror show and a win was truly necessary to steady the ship and bring back the confidence to the players in the depleted squad on the day. Onwards we go under the guidance of the very impressive new manager, who is getting us out of the rut we ended up in with Eddie Howe.

Christopher: Terrific fist half. Some inexperience showed in the second half but, overall, a very welcome and gutsy performance from a very young side. Best yet to come.

John: A big improvement on last Monday night's performance. The passes seemed more accurate and the commitment was back for the first half. The penalty miss was unfortunate, as was the loss of Steur. But the points are valuable going into the break, which would have seemed much longer with a bad performance.

George: A great reaction coming of the Elland Road defeat with an imposing start. Also great to see Willock back to his best - Jaissle will be glad to have a player of his quality.

Hull City fans

Mark: How we did not get anything from that game, I do not know, but the manager has got to start with some more of the new signings bceause some of the players from last season are just not up to the Premier League, I am sorry to say.

John: Hull City were caught napping for those early goals. But after we'd gone 2-0 down, we were by far the better side. We were unlucky not to equalise really. But we're leaving St James's Park with sky-high confidence. Nobody will want to play us and we'll want to play anyone.

Stephen: Apart from the disastrous start, the performance was not bad - in fact, we deserved a draw as a minimum.

Ade: Should have won it in the end after a shocking start. Not many teams will be taking the Tigers on thinking it will be a walk in the park now.