[2026-27 English Premier League] Hull City vs Everton preview and analysis Kick-off: 11 October, 22:00 Korea time
Hull City and Everton meet at Hull's MKM Stadium at 10pm Korea time on 11 October in the sixth round of the 2026-27 Premier League season. The teams are separated by one point after a three-week international break. The promoted side return home after a month away to face an Everton team still unbeaten in the league.
1. Match overview and team form
Hull City have taken eight points from their first five league games, with two wins, two draws and one defeat. Everton have nine points from two wins and three draws. Both teams have scored six goals. Hull have conceded four, while Everton have conceded three. In the table updated on 10 October, Everton sit eighth and Hull City tenth. Hull are looking to build the points needed to stay up in their first Premier League season in nine years, while Everton hope to turn their unbeaten start into an away win.
League form this season Five-match record: Hull City 2 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat / Everton 2 wins, 3 draws Goals for and against: Hull City 6 scored, 4 conceded / Everton 6 scored, 3 conceded Home and away: Hull City 1 win, 1 draw at home, with no goals conceded / Everton 2 away draws
Hull's recent league form has been a change from the opening weeks. They beat Manchester United 2-0 and Coventry City 1-0, then drew 0-0 with Aston Villa to make it three league clean sheets in a row. They followed that with a 2-2 draw away to Chelsea and a 1-2 defeat away to Newcastle United. The early goals conceded in both matches, within the first 10 minutes, were a problem. Against Newcastle, Hull allowed a pass through the space between defence and midfield despite having their defensive shape set. The next goal came after Hull lost the ball in midfield. In the second half, Sergej Jakirovic moved the press higher, and Hull won the ball back and scored. The match showed that they can respond in attack even after an early defensive lapse.
Their home results have been different. Hull have scored twice and conceded none in their two league games at home this season. Still, the goals conceded away to Chelsea and Newcastle cannot be explained by the venue alone. Hull average 29.4% possession in the league, sitting deep in a 5-4-1 mid-to-low block and letting opponents have the ball. When they win it back, they play long to Oli McBurnie, with Mohamed Belloumi involved in the second ball and the finish. Belloumi has had a direct hand in each of Hull's last four league goals. Three of their six league goals this season have come from set pieces or the scramble that followed, which also reflects their attacking approach.
Their defensive numbers need some context. Hull have conceded an expected goals total of 7.39 across five league games this season but have let in four actual goals. Cholakos has made some important saves, though we cannot attribute the whole gap to the goalkeeper. Rather than assume Hull will keep conceding at the same rate, we should look at where Everton can create chances against them.
Everton's unbeaten start has also been built on defence. Jordan Pickford saved all four of Ipswich Town's shots on target, while Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski anchor the centre. Their usual shape is a 4-2-3-1, with James Garner, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and others competing in midfield. Their scoring, though, has not matched their chance creation. They drew 0-0 away to Tottenham Hotspur despite taking 10 shots inside the box. Against Ipswich, they won 1-0 with only two shots on target from 21 attempts. Even in their League Cup match against a Wolverhampton Wanderers side that had plenty of the ball, the winning goal came in the 80th minute.
The biggest selection question is Everton left-back Vitalii Mykolenko, whose availability is uncertain. If he misses out, one option is for Ainsley Maitland-Niles to move to the left and Jake O'Brien to play on the right. Moving Garner to left-back is another possibility, though it would change the midfield. For Hull, Nobel Mendy is expected to return after missing the Newcastle game with concussion. He can contribute both at centre-back and in attack at set pieces. Tim Iroegbunam, who joined from Everton last summer, needs to complete training before a starting role looks likely. Mohamed-Ali Cho, who scored as a substitute against Newcastle, will have his thigh assessed.
Both teams last played in the league on 19 September and have the same rest period before and after this match, with their next games on 17 October. Their recent head-to-head meetings are too old to tell us much about their current form. Everton won their most recent meeting, a 3-2 FA Cup tie in January 2022, after extra time, but the managers and goalscorers from that match are not the ones shaping today's expected game.
2. Matchup analysis
Everton are likely to have more of the ball than usual because Hull defend deep. That gives Everton control, while also presenting an attacking challenge. Everton managed 10 shots inside the box against Tottenham, who had less of the ball, but against a deeper Ipswich defence, 19 of their 21 shots either missed the target or were blocked. If Hull keep their central lines compact, Everton could have little to show for their possession in terms of shots on target. If Hull lose the ball in midfield, though, Everton can create chances through transitions, a familiar route for them.
The central battle will hinge on whether Dewsbury-Hall can receive the ball between Hull's defensive and midfield lines. Newcastle played passes into that space and scored twice within the first seven minutes. Dewsbury-Hall has also scored by driving forward from the second line just after winning the ball. If Hull's Slater and Matt Crooks hold their positions to block vertical passes, Everton may have to finish attacks from wide areas or outside the box. If Iroegbunam starts, Hull will have more numbers to protect the middle. But if Sorba Thomas is left out, they will rely more on Ryan Giles to get forward on the left.
Both teams have attacking opportunities and defensive work to manage out wide. Everton's Jack Grealish will face Hull right wing-back Lewie Coyle. That is the area Chelsea exploited when Cole Palmer broke down the left and crossed for Hull to concede an equaliser. If Grealish keeps Coyle pinned back, Hull will find it harder to send Ryan Giles forward on the other flank as well. Everton's right-sided options, Tyrique George or Brennan Johnson, could also limit Giles' forward runs. For Hull to attack through a Giles cross, he needs a chance to get forward after dealing with the opposing right winger.
If Mykolenko is absent, the same wide matchups could give Hull an opening. O'Brien could line up at right-back opposite Giles, while Belloumi could face Maitland-Niles on the left. Those changes alone do not mean Everton's defence will fall apart. Tarkowski and Branthwaite remain in the middle, and Everton have yet to concede from a set piece in the league this season. Even if Hull get crosses in from wide areas, McBurnie will need to get the better of the two centre-backs in the air, and Hull will then need to win the loose ball to keep the attack alive.
Set pieces matter to both teams, though neither has a clear edge. Hull have scored from Slater free-kicks and corners, using Ajayi and Mendy. Everton have also scored two of their six league goals from set pieces and the ensuing scramble. Neither team has conceded from a set piece in the league this season. Hull may have fewer set-piece chances because they spend less time on the ball, while Everton could win more corners as they work against Hull's block. The number of chances each side gets, and who wins the ball after the initial clearance, will matter.
The timing of the first goal could influence both managers' choices. If Hull score first, they can defend in their usual block and wait for Everton to push forward. They did, though, fail to protect a 2-1 half-time lead against Chelsea. If Everton strike first, Hull can push the press higher as they did in the second half against Newcastle. In that match, a midfield turnover led to Mohamed-Ali Cho's equaliser. Everton have also come from behind against AFC Bournemouth and Manchester United. That is why the first goal alone may not settle the result.
The substitutes have different roles for the two teams. David Moyes has adjusted his attack by changing the wide players, and Tyler Dibling and Carlos Alcaraz have helped create chances after coming on. However, there is no senior specialist centre-forward to fill the same role as Thierno Barry. Hull have Liam Miller, who has scored off the bench, and Mohamed-Ali Cho could add pace if fit to play. If Everton take a one-goal lead and drop deeper, Hull should have time to use those players and set pieces. Moyes has also kept attacking when his side have gone ahead early, so what Everton do after taking the lead could depend on when they score.
3. Verdict and prediction
Everton's unbeaten record and low goals-against tally give us reason to favour them away from home. Those numbers owe something to Pickford's saves and the work of the central defenders, while Everton still have to create clear chances against Hull's 5-4-1. In recent matches against deep defences, their shot totals have not produced many shots on target. Hull cannot rely on two home clean sheets either. The space between their central lines and the flank covered by Coyle are areas opponents have exploited to score.
The market gives Everton the edge based on their unbeaten league start, their defensive record and the assessment of the two squads. We see the game differently because Everton will have to work against a compact defence while likely dominating possession. They can still score if Dewsbury-Hall receives the ball centrally or Grealish creates crossing chances against Coyle. We do not see enough evidence to expect them to turn those chances into multiple goals, and Hull have set pieces and Giles' crosses as routes to goal.
Our score prediction is Hull City 1-1 Everton or 0-0. In a 1-1, the most likely pattern is Everton scoring through a midfield turnover or a wide attack, then Hull replying with a higher press, a set piece or a cross. Everton have had matches where they struggled to finish against a deep defence, Hull have held their shape at home, and both teams' game management after taking the lead has left opponents a way back. If Mykolenko plays and the first 20 to 30 minutes pass without a goal, a 0-0 becomes more likely as both teams block the other's main attacking routes. This forecast would change if Everton win the second balls early, score first and then beat Hull's higher press to add another goal.
