Hull City 1-1 Brentford: Belloumi Stars as Winless Run Hits Seven

Hull City's winless run stretches to seven after Brentford fightback in 1-1 draw

Hull City were pegged back to a 1-1 draw by Brentford at the MKM Stadium in their first-ever top-flight meeting. Oli McBurnie's first goal of the campaign from the penalty spot gave Hull a half-time lead, but Dango Ouattara levelled just after the hour. Hull are now winless in seven games in all competitions.

Score: Hull City 1-1 Brentford
Venue: MKM Stadium
Competition: Premier League — first-ever top-flight meeting between the two clubs
Goals: Oli McBurnie (penalty, first of the season) for Hull; Dango Ouattara (first of the season) for Brentford
Man of the Match: Mohamed Belloumi (Hull City)
Form: Hull winless in seven in all competitions (D4, L3); Brentford have now won just once in seven league matches (D5, L1)

The story of the match

Brentford, beaten for the first time in the league this season by Liverpool last weekend, started with intent. Konstantinos Tzolakis was worked almost immediately when Michael Kayode's trademark long throw was flicked on by Sepp van den Berg.

Hull responded and Mohamed Belloumi, the standout performer of the first half, curled a free-kick over. Tzolakis then had to stop Aaron Hickey's strike from the edge of the box — but the Scot's next meaningful contribution came at the other end, when he conceded a penalty.

Caoimhin Kelleher had sold him short with a terrible pass that was pounced on by Tim Iroegbunam. McBurnie took the resulting spot-kick and slotted his first goal of the campaign into the bottom corner, sending Hull in ahead at the break.

The opening stages had been quiet, but the game sparked into life after the hour mark when Brentford found their equaliser. Ryan Giles failed to clear a cross and the ball fell straight to Igor Thiago, whose miskick fortunately found Ouattara, who opened his account for the season from close range.

Hull almost replied instantly through Belloumi, who danced past a couple of defenders before striking the side-netting from a tight angle. The contest was in the balance in the final stages: Jaidon Anthony fired just wide from range, before Mohamed-Ali Cho saw his effort palmed away by Kelleher.

Brentford looked the likelier winners, and both Anthony and Ouattara would have felt they should have done better with a couple of headers. Instead, both sides settled for a point.

The numbers

7 — games without a win in all competitions for Hull City (D4, L3)
1 — league wins in Brentford's last seven (D5, L1)
W1, D3 — Hull's unbeaten home record this season
1 — first-ever top-flight meeting between Hull City and Brentford
1 and 1 — first goals of the season for McBurnie and Ouattara

Why Brentford's recovery was always likely

Brentford's response after the break was no accident. Having lost their unbeaten league start to Liverpool the previous weekend, they arrived at the MKM Stadium needing a reaction — and their route back came from the same set-piece aggression that defined their opening spell, plus the direct running that exposed Hull's inability to clear cleanly.

The defining moment was Ryan Giles's failed clearance. Brentford's equaliser was scrappy — Igor Thiago miskicked and the ball broke kindly for Dango Ouattara — but it rewarded the visitors for turning the contest into a series of second balls from that point on.

Hull's problem was that their best moments all came through Mohamed Belloumi. He curled a free-kick over early, tormented defenders after the hour and was peerless in the first half. But once his influence became the lone supply line, Brentford could crowd him. Oli McBurnie's penalty was earned by a defensive error rather than sustained pressure, and Hull could not build on it.

Brentford, meanwhile, will feel the late chances fell to the right men. Jaidon Anthony and Ouattara both had headers they should have buried. Mohamed-Ali Cho forced Caoimhin Kelleher into a save — a reminder that Brentford's rearguard, including a goalkeeper who had endured a difficult pass for the penalty, held firm when it mattered.

Talking points

Was Caoimhin Kelleher's stray pass the turning point, or did Hull's failure to manage the game after taking the lead cost them more?
Mohamed Belloumi was named Man of the Match — but does Hull's over-reliance on him make them predictable for opponents?
Brentford are unbeaten in five of their last seven league games but have won only one — are they dropping too many points from promising positions?
Hull are winless in seven yet unbeaten at home — the away record now looks the defining problem of their season.

What happens next

Hull City must turn a seven-game winless run around in their next league fixture, with their home invincibility (W1, D3) still intact but the away form a growing concern. Brentford, who have now drawn five of their last seven league matches, need to convert late chances into wins to climb away from the congested middle. Both clubs' patchy form continues in a division where a single result can reshape the table. For Hull, a reaction in the next league outing is now essential to stop the winless streak becoming a season-defining slump.

Frequently asked questions

What was the score between Hull City and Brentford?

Hull City 1-1 Brentford at the MKM Stadium — Oli McBurnie scored a penalty for Hull and Dango Ouattara equalised for Brentford.

Who scored Hull City's goal against Brentford?

Oli McBurnie scored from the penalty spot — his first goal of the campaign — after Aaron Hickey conceded the spot-kick following a poor pass from Caoimhin Kelleher.