Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi had a tough outing on Saturday as Hull City suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. The result allowed the Gunners to equal their best-ever start to a Premier League season.
Arsenal controlled large periods of the encounter against the newly-promoted side but found it difficult to break down their stubborn opponents. Ajayi started in a five-man defence for Hull and worked alongside Nobel Mendy to frustrate the league leaders for over an hour.
The Nigerian centre-back was forced to leave the pitch in the 69th minute after pulling up with an issue, according to football360.com.au. Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic later confirmed that the defender was only dealing with cramp, making way for 19-year-old Australian Lucas Herrington.
Moments after the substitution, Arsenal finally found their breakthrough in the 72nd minute. Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis failed to hold a shot from Noni Madueke, allowing Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard to pounce on the loose ball and score his fifth goal of the campaign.
Earlier in the match, Hull had created several promising openings on the counter-attack. John Egan directed a header into the side netting, while Elliot Stroud forced Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya into an important stop. Hull also escaped a first-half penalty scare when a shirt-pull by Mendy on Kai Havertz went unpunished because Havertz was offside.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stuck with the same starting lineup that defeated Liverpool 1-0 the previous weekend. The victory pushed the Gunners to 27 points from their opening 10 matches, keeping them at the summit of the table and matching the 27 points they gathered across the same period during the 2022-23 season.
Despite the loss, which extends Hull's winless league run dating back to late August, Jakirovic praised his side's tactical discipline. He noted that their plan to congest the middle and limit Arsenal's midfield overloads worked well for long spells.
