Robert Snodgrass, the hull in Hull.
The Premier League new season is truly upon us. And what an opener it was as Hull, a beleaguered club with its owners trying to offload it to Chinese investors and under Mike Phelan, caretaker manager contrived to stun Leicester, 2-1. The potent duo of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez were next to invisible. Vardy muffed a glorious chance when new boy Ahmed Musa fed him the ball but there were very few other opportunities as Hull held firm with Sam Clucas, a standout as holding midfielder. The evergreen Robert Snodgrass was the attacking fulcrum and his superb winner – a rasping drive cleanly struck on the bounce as the Foxes defence fell asleep put the nail on the coffin.
Riyad Mahrez’s dubious penalty in the 47th minute cancelled out Hull’s opening goal, a wonderful series of improvisation which saw both Abel Hernandez and Adama Diomande acrobatically link up to crash the ball over Kasper Schmeichel and off the crossbar.
Can we say N’golo Kante will be missed? Leicester’s loss, Chelsea’s gain.
Match highlights: