Hull 0 Aston Villa 0: Rock-solid Tigers soar to SECOND but blunt visitors still searching for first goal of season

GOAL-SHY Aston Villa came Tzo close to ending their winless and sorry start to the season as Hull kept it clean to continue their top-flightheroics. Boss Unai Emery couldn’t toast his 200th game in charge with a much-needed first victory as his faltering side failed to take their chances. Hull and Aston Villa played out a drab goalless draw in the Premier League Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Aston Villa remain winless after losing two of their first three Prem matches Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Hull remain undefeated after winning two of their first three Prem matches Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Villa manager Unai Emery has suffered a poor start to the season Credit: 2026 PA Media Midfielder Ross Barkley came closest but was denied by a stunning savefrom Tigers keeper Konstantinos Tzolakis. It meant Villa became the first top-flight team – since Ipswich Town 56 years ago – not to score in the first three games for two consecutive seasons. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! It will frustrate and worry Emery, whose men sit fourth bottom in thePremier League and visit Club Brugge on Tuesday for the start of theirChampions League campaign. Mohamed Belloumi smacked the woodwork at the other end as boss Sergej Jakirovic celebrated his new two-year deal this week with a seventhpoint to put Hull in the lofty heights of second place behind leadersManchester City. After two wins on their top-flight return, his side were bidding tomake their own history. They had never won the first three matches of any top-flight campaignand were hoping to match Bolton’s feat in 2001-02 as only the secondnewly promoted side to do so in the Prem. Having fired blanks in a disappointing and disjointed opening with aside decimated by change in personnel, Villa almost made the perfectstart to end their goal drought. Ian Maatsen found space down the left with 90 seconds on the clock andchipped over a cross that was met by Nicolas Jackson, but his loopingheader dropped wide. Most read in Football A lot of pressure has been placed on the shoulders of the £65 millionsigning from Chelsea following Ollie Watkins’ departure to SaudiArabia. But he struggled and had little to enjoy up front, including arejected penalty shout after a challenge from Nobel Mendy at the endof the first half. Hull’s backline had not conceded in wins over Manchester United andCoventry City and the Tigers were typically tenacious on and off theball to stifle a visiting side lacking the same confidence and qualitythat had produced a top-four finish and Europa League triumph lastseason. Villa had to wait until the 25th minute for another opening as MattyCash’s cross into the box was dummied by Emi Buendia and fell into thepath of Barkley, but his finish needed a slight touch by Tzolakis totake it wide. It was a superb stop by the Greek international to deny Barkley hisfirst goal since May. An ambitious Regan Slater effort that flew high over the bar from 30yards was the home side’s riposte in the 35th minute. His last goal was in January but he came much closer just threeminutes later when good work down the left by Ryan Giles teed up ashooting chance from 25 yards and Villa’s Japan keeper Zion Suzuki hadto be alert, diving full-stretch to his right to save. Villa were far more determined and lively after the restart and carvedout a couple of glorious opportunities which they spurned to theanguish of Emery. A lovely interchange of passing provided John McGinn with the first inthe 50th minute as he collected a Jackson pass, but lifted his finishover the advancing Tzolakis – and the bar. Three minutes later a sublime long clearance from Suzuki picked outGeorge Hemmings on the left, and he got on his bike with a driving runinto the box before laying the ball back to Buendia who shotwastefully over the bar. It was evidence of Villa’s growing influence and only a strong slidingchallenge from John Egan halted another promising break from teenagerHemmings. But Hull gave another reminder of their own attacking threat in the65th minute when Belloumi’s brilliance almost conjured up a winner. From a corner, the Algerian played the ball short to Slater and thencollected the return before whipping a curling left-foot strike from25 yards that soared over Suzuki’s head but clattered the bar. It felt like a moment of magic was needed to decide this encounter,but it ended in a stalemate. The hosts also went close in late drama with a barrage of balls into the box. Substitute striker Mohamed-Ali Cho – one of the club’s 18 summersignings – volleyed straight at Suzuki, before Scotland forward OliMcBurnie failed to connect with a delicious delivery from Giles. Comment now