Hull City continued their impressive start to the Premier League campaign when substitute Liam Millar found the back of the net in the dying minutes, delivering a 1-0 win at the CBS Arena and giving his side a second straight triumph. The goal not only clinched three points but also sparked jubilant chants from the visiting supporters, who could be heard shouting, "we're going to win the league," as Hull climbed to second place in the table. Millar entered the match in the second half, replacing Elliot Stroud, and immediately made an impact. After an early missed opportunity on the break, where his effort drifted wide, he stayed alert and seized his chance when Hull launched a swift counter-attack.
Mohamed Belloumi, positioned just outside the opposition box, threaded a precise pass to Millar on his left. Millar controlled the ball, cut inside, and slotted it past Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, sealing the win. The victory was particularly sweet for Hull, who were still riding the high of their opening‑season scalp against Manchester United.
Their confidence was evident throughout the match, and the late goal reinforced the belief that they could challenge for the top spots, even though the season is only beginning. On the other side of the pitch, Coventry City endured their second consecutive league loss, extending a 25‑year wait for a Premier League win.
The Sky Blues had entered the game with optimism, especially after the recent signing of striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who had impressed in his first start by scoring in a 4-2 Carabao Cup victory over Plymouth. Awoniyi was active from the first whistle, creating several chances, but his best effort was thwarted by defender Konstantinos Tzolakis, who cleared a dangerous header in the first half. Coventry’s inability to convert possession into clear-cut opportunities was a recurring theme.
Despite dominating large stretches of the game and having the ball for a significant share of the match, they struggled to break down Hull’s disciplined defence. Mid‑fielder Jack Rudoni tried to spark a counter‑attack, and winger Tchaouna delivered a low cross that found Awoniyi, only for Tzolakis to intervene once again, denying what looked like a certain goal. The match was billed as a "relegation six‑pointer," a term that underscored the high stakes for both clubs. For Hull, the win represented a chance to solidify their early momentum, while Coventry needed at least a point to keep their hopes of avoiding the drop alive.
Unfortunately for the latter, they could not capitalize on the few chances they created, and the game ended in disappointment. Key moments of the encounter included: - The 21st minute, when a mis‑clearance by Hull allowed Caleb Yerenkyi to find Awoniyi with a cross, only for the striker’s header to be saved by Tzolakis. - The 38th minute, when Tzolakis again denied Awoniyi, this time from a well‑placed ball that bounced off the striker’s thigh. - A spectacular save by Carl Rushworth in the 50th minute, denying Nobel Mendy’s long‑range effort.
- A near‑miss for Coventry in the 57th minute as they launched a quick counter‑attack, with Tchaouna setting up a promising move that fell short. - Millar’s early attempt in the 74th minute, where he drove at the defense but sent his shot wide. - Finally, the decisive 82nd‑minute goal, where Millar finished off a swift Hull counter‑attack, turning a pass from Belloumi into a calm finish past Rushworth.
After the match, Hull’s forward Oli McBurnie shared his thoughts with Sky Sports, emphasizing the importance of staying composed under pressure. He noted, "It suits us the longer the game goes on at 0-0. We're at their place.
They want to win after their first game so we knew the pressure would be on them. At the end of the day, a 0-0 wouldn't have been the worst result for us. The pressure wasn't on us to score.
The moment they committed forward, the more space we thought would appear. That was the case, and thankfully Liam stuck one in the net.
They are all tough in the Premier League; it doesn't get much harder. Manchester United was a different challenge, last week was a free hit but these games against teams that are so-called around us are more important when it comes to the end of the season. They didn't have the best result last week but we know they are a really good team.
It's an excellent result for us. As starts go, two from two isn't bad." Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic also reflected on the performance, warning against complacency despite the chants of league‑winning aspirations. "Did I hear winning the league chants? No, I am completely in the game.
We should stay humble and work hard. We have a lot of work to do. We can improve our game, our play - especially in possession.
Now we have one system that suits us, now we will try to improve. There were things that weren't so good, but we are expecting some new players, so we will try to be even better," he said. Coventry’s boss Frank Lampard expressed disappointment, acknowledging that his side had dominated possession but failed to be decisive.
"I'm disappointed with the result and performance because we had a big share of the ball. We weren't decisive with it, we didn't create enough chances. They frustrated us and we weren't quick enough in how we moved the ball.
Credit to Hull for making it difficult but we've got to do more. We had to stop that attack by any means - we allowed it so you get punished.
The message has been honest. Some parts of football are tactics and some parts are how you apply yourself in the game to make sure we do the things we talk about before the game. We came away from it, so we have to get back to that," Lampard explained. The result leaves Hull City with a solid platform to build on as they aim to sustain their early-season surge, while Coventry City must regroup quickly if they hope to break their long Premier League drought and avoid slipping further into the relegation battle.