Hull City

Three precious points are up for grabs for two teams fighting different Championship battles as Hull City head to Bristol City on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Robins are seeking a fourth win in five league games and lie seventh, outside the play-off spots on goal difference alone, going into the weekend.

The Tigers picked-up a useful 2-0 win over Plymouth at home on Tuesday night to open-up a five point gap over the relegation places, which is effectively six given their superior goal difference over the bottom-three.

• Bristol City have lost just one of their past 13 league games against Hull City (W7 D5), a 2-1 defeat in July 2022.

• Hull City have won just one of their past 26 away league games against Bristol City since 1965 (D6 L19), with the exception coming in a 2-1 win in October 2012.

• Bristol City have won seven of their past nine league games at Ashton Gate (D1 L1). They have won 53% of their home games this season (9/17), their best ratio in a season since 2014-15 (70%, 16/23).

• Hull's eight away league games under Ruben Selles have seen them win four and lose four. All four victories have come to nil, with the Tigers losing their past seven away games when they've conceded.

• George Earthy's brace against Middlesbrough gave Bristol City a 2-1 win in their last game at Ashton Gate. He was the youngest player (20 years, 169 days) to score twice in a Championship game for the Robins since Tammy Abraham in April 2017 versus Wolves (19 years, 188 days).

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Hull City head coach Ruben Selles praised his side's bravery and patience following the 2-0 win over fellow Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle.

Hull dominated the first half without creating many chances, but they made their dominance count after the interval.

"We looked to perform in the proper way and we did the things we wanted to do in the game today," the Spaniard told BBC Radio Humberside.

"One of the key things was to be brave, to get the tempo high, and I am pleased everyone got on board.

"I was not worried about the first 45 minutes - you cannot expect teams in our position right now to be perfect. I expected the game they prepared for us, but we controlled the game.

"The early goal in the second half helped. When you score the first goal it is massive. It gave us more space but we had to carry on playing with intensity."

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Ruben Selles wants Hull City fans to create an 'uncomfortable' atmosphere for visiting teams as the Tigers try to preserve their Championship status.

Fourth-bottom City welcome second-bottom Plymouth, three points behind, to the MKM Stadium on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) aiming to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Cardiff seven days prior.

Argyle remain winless on the road this season and have scored only six goals on their travels while Selles' side have failed to take three points in six home games in all competitions since beating Swansea on 21 December.

Selles told BBC Radio Humberside, external "everyone was hurt by the result" against Cardiff but said: "We are ready for tomorrow.

"They have been more solid and stable since the new coach (Miron Muslic) arrived.

"They'll come trying to get their first victory of the season away from home as we will try to get a victory in front of our fans, we have not done that in a couple of months.

"It would be good for us to get one and then move forward. We need a lot of support from our fans. We want people to create an environment where people feel really uncomfortable to come and play in our stadium."

Selles said he hoped Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry might return from a knee injury before the end of the campaign after limping off at Sunderland on 22 February.

Sean McLoughlin is available after a back injury which forced him off against Cardiff while Kasey Palmer is likely to feature on the bench. Steven Alzate is also selectable though Matt Crooks suffered a facial injury in training and might miss out.

Belgian midfielder Eliot Matazo will however be sidelined until next season with an ACL injury sustained against Cardiff which Selles said was "very unfortunate".

"He was potentially one of the best players on the pitch against Sunderland and Cardiff," Selles added. "He was finding his football here with us, he was comfortable in playing the game in the style and the way we want.

"He'll be out for part of the beginning of next season. It's bad news for us."

Hull City welcome Plymouth Argyle to the MKM on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) for a game with big implications at the foot of the Championship.

After their FA Cup adventure ended at Man City on Saturday, the Pilgrims find themselves second-bottom, three points behind the fourth-bottom Tigers, albeit with a far inferior goal difference.

A win for City could take them up to 19th, five points clear of the relegation zone.

• Hull City have won only one of their past seven meetings with Plymouth Argyle in the Championship (D2 L4), failing to win each of their last three (D2 L1) since a 1-0 away victory in February 2008.

• Plymouth Argyle are unbeaten in their past three league games against Hull City (W1 D2) and could avoid defeat in four straight meetings with the Tigers for the first time since doing so across the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons (W1 D3).

• Hull City have won the fewest points at home in the Championship this season (13 – W2 D7 L8), failing to win each of their five home league matches in 2025 (D2 L3), their longest winless start to a calendar year at the MKM Stadium since 2020 (P7 D1 L6).

• Plymouth Argyle are the only team in England's top four tiers yet to win an away game this season (D5 L12); they are the eighth Championship side to fail to win each of their first 17 away matches of a campaign, with each of the previous seven suffering relegation.

• Since his first Hull start in mid-January, Joe Gelhardt has had the most shots for the Tigers in the Championship (15) as well as created the joint-most chances (7 – level with Eliot Matazo).

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Hull City boss Ruben Selles says he and his players need to "feel the pain" of the disappointing 1-0 loss to relegation rivals Cardiff City.

The Tigers fell to defeat in south Wales in a game between two sides fighting to avoid the drop, leaving them three points above the bottom three.

"I think today and tomorrow are some moments for everyone to reflect on how we can do things better and how disappointed we are because we, as a team, are very disappointed," Selles told BBC Radio Humberside.

"I will let that feeling be a little bit in the next couple of days. We will address it as a team and we will move forward trying to beat the next opponent - that's how we're going to do it."

Hull welcome 22nd-placed Plymouth Argyle next Tuesday for another encounter with a team embroiled in the scrap to stay up.

But they will be without Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry for much of the rest of the season after the 21-year-old returned to his parent club to undergo rehabilitation following a knee injury he picked up in the 1-0 win at Sunderland.

"Things happen in football, we are not the only team that's going to happen to," Selles added.

"But we brought in Louie with the idea to be a player that will make the difference for us, so it's a big blow. We will manage as we always do."

Listen to Ruben Selles' post-match interview on BBC Sounds.

There's plenty at stake at the foot of the table as Cardiff welcome fellow strugglers Hull City on Tuesday night (19:45 GMT).

The Bluebirds lie 21st, one place and three points above the relegation zone, and behind the Tigers on goal difference alone - with the three sides below them having each played a game more.

The hosts are unbeaten in five home matches dating back to 21 December, though have picked up just two points from their past four Championship games, while the visitors are seeking to follow-up their eye-catching 1-0 win at Sunderland on Saturday.

• Cardiff City have lost each of their past seven league games against Hull City since a 3-0 win in July 2020. Over that stint, the Bluebirds have conceded 17 goals in total.

• Hull City have won each of their past three away league games against Cardiff City, and will be looking to win four in succession for the first time in the EFL.

• Cardiff are unbeaten in their past five home league games (W2 D3); the Bluebirds had lost four in a row at home in the Championship before this.

• Hull have lost each of their past four midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games, last losing more in succession from March 2013 to May 2014 (run of 10).

• Hull have won each of their past three Championship games against Welsh clubs, including two against Cardiff (3-1 in April 2024, 4-1 in September 2024). The Tigers last won four league games in a row versus Welsh opposition in March 2017.

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Ruben Selles urged his Hull City team to build on their big win at Sunderland and not slip back into inconsistency.

The Tigers head coach told BBC Radio Humberside: "It was a good performance from the team against a really good opponent away from home.

"It's always difficult - they have pace and are energetic but the team showed character in possession and in the last 10 minutes when we had to defend the box we did it properly.

"I'm happy but I just put it into the dressing room now that we cannot allow ourselves one of those moments where we win one game and then don't perform in the way that we should.

"It's three days [until Cardiff away] so we need to recover and be ready to go and get three points.

"It's important against a really good opponent that you try to apply the pressure as high as possible and keep them away from your goal and win balls for your own transition [and we did that well]."

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Hull City head coach Ruben Selles has played down the significance of a video appearing to show captain Lewie Coyle swearing at fans.

Coyle has been subjected to criticism and was involved in an incident during the draw with Norwich City last weekend.

But Selles says it was a "moment of passion" and called on fans to back Coyle.

"We talked about it," Selles told BBC Radio Humberside.

"I have seen the video. It is a moment passion and reaction. It is not a big thing. It is the team that is not in the best moment, not one player.

"I can understand the frustrations of the fans and we have our own frustrations. I don't see the point in looking at it in terms of only one player, especially somebody who has been here for that long, giving so much to the club.

"I don't pay attention. I don't think it has impacted him."

The Tigers will go into Saturday's match against promotion-chasing Sunderland just a place and a point above the relegation zone, but Selles is backing his team to stay up.

"I haven't done the maths to see how many points are needed. I know if I do my job and we win our games, we'll be fine," he said.

"We are the ones who need to make it happen. The most important thing is to win the next game."

How will Sunderland react after suffering late heartbreak against Leeds on Monday? They were on course to close the gap on the league leaders until Pascal Struijk's late double saw them suffer a 2-1 defeat at Elland Road.

But it's back to the Stadium of Light for the fourth-placed Black Cats who could reduce the deficit between themselves and second-placed Sheffield United to five points with a win. The Blades welcome Leeds to Bramall Lane on Monday.

Hull go into this off the back of no wins in their past three games but head coach Ruben Selles said his side have to be happy with the 1-1 draw against Norwich, last Saturday.

Relegation-threatened Tigers are just above the drop zone in 21st with one point separating them and Derby.

• Sunderland have lost just one of their last 12 league games against Hull City (W5 D6), though that sole defeat came in this exact fixture last season (1-0).

• Hull City are unbeaten across their last three away league games against Sunderland (W1 D2), since a 1-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light in January 2018.

• Sunderland suffered only their fifth league defeat of the season last time out to Leeds in a 2-1 loss at Elland Road. It was only their second loss of the season when scoring first, along with their 3-2 defeat at Plymouth in September.

• Since his first Championship start for Hull on 21 January, Joe Gelhardt leads all his teammates for shots (13), dribbles (23), duels won (30), ball carry distance (708.7m), expected goals (1.2) and he has created the joint most chances in open play (5).

• Sunderland's Wilson Isidor has scored or assisted in each of his last five Championship appearances (4 goals, 1 assist). He is yet to score more than once in a game this season, with his 12 goals the most by a Black Cats player in a league season without doing so since David Connolly netted 13 in 2006-07.

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Hull City head coach Ruben Selles said his side have to be happy with the 1-1 draw against Norwich City, even though they surrendered the lead.

"Every point is gold for us in the situation that we are in," Selles said.

"We have an argument that we could get three points but the opposition had a few chances. I think the game was competitive, the game was equal and the point is probably fair for everyone.

"We want to always get three points but recent experiences like today have not got any points – and today we got the point. It's put us a little bit closer to the target and we will build from there.

"We scored the goal. But sometimes you play against an opponent that starts to connect a little bit better – and that pushed us backwards. The goal early in the second half meant we had to restart again. But after that we managed the game well."

There's plenty at stake as Hull City welcome Norwich to the MKM on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

After their midweek defeat at Burnley, their second straight, the Tigers remain in the Championship relegation zone below Derby by virtue of their inferior goal difference.

The Canaries have fallen to 11th, four points adrift of the play-off places, after drawing at home to the Rams on Saturday and going down 1-0 to Preston at Carrow Road on Tuesday night.

• Hull City have lost each of their past four league games against Norwich City, conceding 11 goals in that time.

• Norwich are looking to beat Hull on successive Football League trips for the first time since December 1968.

• Hull are yet to win a home league game in 2025 (D1 L3), which is their longest winless start at home in a year since 2020 (7 games).

• Norwich are aiming to win successive away league games for the first time since January 2023 after beating Watford 1-0 at the start of the month at Vicarage Road.

• Norwich's Josh Sargent has two goals in his last four league games against Hull, netting the second goal in their 4-0 win in the reverse fixture in October.

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Hull City manager Ruben Selles spoke to BBC Radio Humberside after his side's 2-0 Championship loss at Burnley.

"I was disappointed. We came here with a clear idea as we do usually.

"The first goal put us a little bit out of the game. We were not able to apply any kind of pressure.

"We tried to adjust. The second half was more competitive from us.

"[I'm] taking the responsibility because it's my responsibility to set the team."

Hull City boss Ruben Selles has been speaking to BBC Radio Humberside ahead of his side's trip to Turf Moor.

Here are the key lines:

• New signing Lincoln has not been in training due to knee pain and may not be available for the Burnley game - though the Fenerbahce loanee did return to the training pitch on Monday

• Midfielder Matty Crooks is fully fit and available, but defenders Finley Burns, Charlie Hughes and midfielder Kasey Palmer are not expected back until next week

• Right-back Cody Drameh suffered a knee issue at the end of the loss to Stoke and has not been training, however, he is expected to return on Tuesday and may make the matchday squad

• On new signing John Egan, a former Burnley defender: "I think he has been excellent in the week he has been with us. He's a player with a lot of experience and I think he can give us different things."

• Selles believes it will "be difficult" for Dogukan Sinik to get minutes once he returns to full fitness amid rumours the forward may return to Turkey before the Turkish transfer window closes on Saturday

• On transfer window: "I think we are as competitive as we can be. I think we are balanced. We have all the elements to stay in the league and be in good positions, now it's for us, and for me, to make it happen."

• On Burnley: "It's about trying to turn that strength for them into opportunities for us. We have a very clear game plan of how we can do it."

You can listen to the full press conference on BBC Sounds.

Burnley will look to make up ground in the battle for automatic promotion against relegation-threatened Hull City on Wednesday (19:45 GMT).

The Clarets knocked out Premier League side Southampton in their 1-0 FA Cup win on the weekend, while their last outing in the Championship served Oxford United boss Gary Rowett his first defeat with the U's.

Hull City, however, lost against Stoke to see themselves hovering just one point above the relegation zone.

• Burnley are unbeaten across their last six league games against Hull City (W2 D4), conceding one or fewer goals in each of those matches.

• Hull City have lost 10 of their last 14 away league games against Burnley (W2 D2), though each of their last two visits to Turf Moor have ended in 1-1 draws.

• Burnley have kept nine consecutive clean sheets in the Championship – only seven teams in Football League history have kept 10 in a row, most recently Torquay United in League Two between April and August 2010. No side in second tier history has ever kept 10 clean sheets in a row.

• Hull have won their last three away league games without conceding, having lost five in a row beforehand. The Tigers have never won four away games in a row while keeping a clean sheet each time in their league history.

• Burnley's 31 Championship games in 2024-25 have seen just 46 goals scored (37 for, 9 against) – at an average of just 1.48 per game, that is the lowest goals-per-game ratio for a team in a season in Football League history.