Newcastle 2-1 Hull City: fast start gives Jaissle the points, Hull make it uncomfortable
Newcastle got the job done at St James' Park on Saturday, 19 September 2026, beating Hull City 2-1 in a result that moved them level with Hull on points but left the visitors ahead on goal difference.
The win was built early. Joe Willock scored in the 3rd minute, Harvey Barnes providing the assist, before Lewis Hall added Newcastle’s second in the 7th minute, again from a Barnes assist. Hull spent the rest of the afternoon trying to repair damage done before the match had truly settled.
Hull did not disappear. Mohamed-Ali Cho, who came on in the 63rd minute, pulled one back in the 67th minute with Mohamed Belloumi credited with the assist. Sergej Jakirović’s side made Newcastle work for the final whistle, but the away side’s slow start and first-half indiscipline left them with too much to correct.
Match report
Matthias Jaissle’s Newcastle were listed in a 4-2-3-1: Lukas Horníček in goal; Lewis Miley, Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman and Lewis Hall in defence; Sean Steur, Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy in midfield; with Matías Fernández-Pardo and Harvey Barnes supporting Yoane Wissa.
Jakirović went with a 5-4-1 for Hull City: Konstantinos Tzolakis in goal; Luke Coyle, Semi Ajayi, John Egan, Lewis Herrington and Ryan Giles in defence; Mohamed Belloumi, Matt Crooks, Regan Slater and Sorba Thomas across midfield; with Oli McBurnie alone up front.
The early minutes decided the match. Newcastle’s shape gave them runners and passing options between the lines, and Willock’s goal in the 3rd minute changed the rhythm straight away. Hull’s 5-4-1 was designed to block space, protect the box and keep the match narrow. Instead, it was dragged into crisis almost immediately.
Hall’s goal in the 7th minute mattered just as much as the opener. It gave Newcastle room to manage the game rather than chase it. From there, the home side could pick their moments, with Barnes and Fernández-Pardo offering width, Murphy helping connect midfield, and Wissa occupying Hull’s centre-backs.
Hull’s problem was not only tactical. It was emotional control. Matt Crooks was booked in the 29th minute, Mohamed Belloumi followed in the 39th minute, and Tzolakis was shown yellow at 45+2. Jacob Murphy was also booked at 45+3, while Ryan Giles went into the book in the 49th minute.
There was still a major opening before the interval. Wissa missed a penalty at 45+2, a chance that could have killed the match completely. Instead, it left Hull alive.
That mattered after the break. Cho’s goal in the 67th minute gave Hull belief and changed the temperature inside St James' Park. Belloumi had already been walking a line after his yellow card, but he remained central to Hull’s best route back into the game. His assist gave Jakirović exactly what his 5-4-1 needed: a way to turn containment into threat.
Still, Newcastle had enough. Thiaw and Botman gave Jaissle the platform to absorb the late pressure, while Hall’s contribution at both ends stood out. He scored early, held his flank, and gave Newcastle the balance that made the system work.
The tactical read
Newcastle’s win came from speed and positioning. The early two-goal lead forced Hull to come out of their shell, which is not what a 5-4-1 wants to do away from home.
Willock’s role was key. He gave Newcastle midfield running, helped Steur avoid being isolated, and made Hull’s central block shift earlier than Jakirović would have wanted. Hall then gave Newcastle the second layer: width, progression and the goal that turned pressure into control.
Hull’s 5-4-1 had logic. Against Newcastle at St James' Park, it made sense to protect central spaces and ask Belloumi and Thomas to support counters. But once Hull conceded in the 3rd minute and again in the 7th minute, the plan became reactive. McBurnie was left with difficult work, often needing to hold the ball long enough for support to arrive.
Cho changed the game after coming on because he gave Hull a sharper attacking reference. Belloumi mattered too, not only for the assist but because he remained the away side’s main source of forward connection despite his 39th-minute booking.
Numbers
- Final score: Newcastle 2-1 Hull City
- Competition: Premier League, Regular Season - 5
- Date: 19 September 2026
- Venue: St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne
- Newcastle formation: 4-2-3-1
- Hull City formation: 5-4-1
- Newcastle goals: Joe Willock, 3rd minute, assisted by Harvey Barnes; Lewis Hall, 7th minute, assisted by Harvey Barnes
- Hull City goal: Mohamed-Ali Cho, 67th minute, assisted by Mohamed Belloumi
- Penalty missed: Yoane Wissa, 45+2
- Yellow cards: Matt Crooks, 29th minute; Mohamed Belloumi, 39th minute; Konstantinos Tzolakis, 45+2; Jacob Murphy, 45+3; Ryan Giles, 49th minute
- Red cards: none
No detailed team statistics were supplied for shots, possession, expected goals or passing.
What it means
Newcastle move to 8 points from five matches, sitting 8th with a goal difference of 0. Their form line now reads WLDWD, which tells the truth: there is still inconsistency, but this was a necessary home win.
Hull remain 7th, also on 8 points, with a better goal difference of +2. Jakirović will take something from the response, especially Cho’s goal and Belloumi’s assist, but the first seven minutes are the issue. Away in the Premier League, that start leaves no margin.
The table is tight around them. Leeds, Hull and Newcastle are all on 8 points, separated by goal difference and games played, while Brentford and Everton sit just above on 9.
For Newcastle, the next step is clear: turn fast starts into calmer finishes. For Hull, the proposal is different but just as urgent: keep the structure, cut the errors, and stop giving opponents a two-goal head start.
