Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic hails 'amazing' start as Tigers maintain unbeaten run and clean sheet record

Tigers preserve defensive record

Hull came agonisingly close to extending their winning streak when Mohamed Belloumi's audacious curling effort rattled the crossbar before Mohamed-Ali Cho and Oliver McBurnie spurned late half-chances. Despite missing out on a third straight victory, the goalless stalemate against Aston Villa preserved the newly promoted side's remarkable clean-sheet record. The hard-earned point cements the Tigers' position in second place with seven points.

Manager delighted with return

Jakirovic could not hide his delight at his side's resilience against European regulars after recently celebrating a new two-year contract. He told Sky Sports: "We could have won, but they also had a few chances in the second half. We won't be ungrateful for seven points after three games and another clean sheet. It's a great result for us.

"It's amazing! If someone offered me seven points before the start of the season, I would have signed immediately! Especially against who we have played! It is a great example for us and we have to continue like this, because we have shown that we can compete at this level."

Promoted side stays grounded

The result places Hull alongside Charlton Athletic (1998-99) and Huddersfield Town (2017-18) as the only promoted sides to keep clean sheets in their opening three Premier League games. However, the manager refused to get carried away and remained realistic about the club's ultimate objective.

Asked by BBC Match of the Day if the flying start had altered their expectations, Jakirovic quipped: "Maybe we expect to fight for a Champions League place? No, of course it is early. Our goal is to collect the points as soon as possible. I think we need around 38 or 40 points, so we need to get those points as quickly as possible."

Testing cup clash looms

Hull's positive early momentum will be tested on Tuesday night with a Carabao Cup trip to the Stadium of Light to take on Sunderland. The schedule gets no easier next weekend when Jakirovic's side head to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Premier League. Managing player workloads while preserving their defensive organisation will be vital during this demanding spell on the road.