Villa earn first point but squander chances in Hull stalemate — SkimNews
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- Aston Villa earned their first Premier League point of the season in the 0-0 draw at Hull on September 5, climbing out of the bottom three but missing clear openings to win
- Hull City remained unbeaten with three consecutive clean sheets to open the campaign as a newly promoted side, with Mohamed Belloumi striking the crossbar and Oli McBurnie fluffing a late chance inside the box
- Unai Emery marked his 200th game in charge of Villa but watched his side waste two glorious second-half opportunities, with John McGinn blazing over one-on-one and Emi Buendia firing wide unmarked inside the penalty area
- George Hemmings registered Villa's first shot on target of the entire season inside the opening 15 minutes, while Nicolas Jackson headed wide even earlier
- Villa, the reigning Europa League champions, lacked the imagination to break down Hull's long-range threat in a first half where the hosts looked more dangerous
Why it matters: Villa's profligacy — registering their first shot on target of the season on matchday three and converting none of several gilt-edged chances — is a sharp early warning for Emery, whose Europa League champions sit just above the relegation zone after three games. For newly promoted Hull, three clean sheets and an unbeaten opening represent a genuinely exceptional platform under unfathomable preseason expectations.
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