Hull City are unbeaten at home but winless in six: Can Jakirovic turn draws into wins?

Hull City are proving hard to beat at home. Winning is another matter. Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Brentford kept Sergej Jakirovic’s side unbeaten at the MKM Stadium since promotion, but stretched their run without a Premier League win to six games.

Hull City’s flying start

Few expected Hull to be in the Premier League at all. They finished sixth in the Championship last season and won the play-offs, beating Middlesbrough 1-0 at Wembley thanks to Oli McBurnie’s stoppage-time winner. They were the first team since Blackpool in 2010 to win promotion from sixth.

The start was dream-like. Hull beat Manchester United 2-0 at home on the opening day, then won 1-0 at Coventry. Six points from two games had them near the top of the early table.

Unbeaten at home, winless in six

Since then, Hull have drawn with Aston Villa (0-0), Chelsea (2-2), Everton (2-2) and Brentford (1-1). They lost at Newcastle (2-1) and Fulham (1-0).

That leaves a strange split. At home, Hull are unbeaten in four league games, with one win and three draws. Away from the MKM Stadium, the goals have dried up. They sit 10th on 10 points, which is comfortable for now, but the lack of wins is starting to show.

Including the Carabao Cup, Hull are without a win in seven games in all competitions.

McBurnie ends his drought

There were positives against Brentford. McBurnie scored from the penalty spot after 24 minutes, his first Premier League goal in more than 900 days, according to Brit Brief. Dango Ouattara equalised for Brentford in the 63rd minute, and Joe Gelhardt missed a late chance to win it.

Jakirovic admitted he was left with regret, but felt his side looked sharper than they had in the defeat at Fulham. Read the full Hull City 1-1 Brentford report and see how every player rated in our Hull City vs Brentford player ratings.

Can Hull turn draws into wins?

Jakirovic has history of turning slow periods around. His first Championship season started with one win in five before Hull pushed into the play-offs. The difference now is that the margins are smaller and the opposition sharper.

For a promoted side, a home record like this is a strong foundation. Hull’s challenge is to start turning those draws into wins before the bottom of the Premier League table catches up with them. Fulham, who beat them a fortnight ago, are a reminder of how quickly things can change.