Hull City vs Aston Villa

Hull City host Aston Villa at MKM Stadium in a fixture that means plenty for both sides. Hull are back in the top flight for the first time since 2016-17 after winning the Championship play-off final, while Villa are chasing a repeat of last season's fourth-place finish while balancing a fresh Champions League campaign. Form has already made headlines. Hull stunned Manchester United 2-0 on the opening weekend, goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy announcing coach Sergej Jakirović's side under Wembley hero Oli McBurnie. Villa's rebuilt squad endured the opposite experience, thrashed 4-0 at Brighton. Ollie Watkins remains Villa's talisman up front, while the clubs have split recent meetings evenly, with three draws and a win apiece in their last six clashes. With Villa needing a reset and Hull riding early belief, expect a tight contest. Our prediction: 1-1