Acun Ilıcalı calls Hull City’s six-match run without conceding a goal an achievement

After Hull City drew 0-0 with Aston Villa, Acun Ilıcalı said the team had extended its run without conceding in competitive matches to six games. Ilıcalı said their goal was to remain in the Premier League and that earning a point away to Chelsea would make them happy.

Scraper SystemSeptember 06, 2026, 01:40 PM

Acun Ilıcalı calls Hull City’s six-match run without conceding a goal an achievement

Acun Ilıcalı assessed Hull City's defensive performance after the team's 0-0 draw with Aston Villa. Ilıcalı said the players had given their all on the pitch and expressed his pride in the result.

Noting that they had not yet been able to use all of their new signings, Ilıcalı said around 10 players had been left out of the squad, while three or four new arrivals had been able to play. He added that the players from the squad that had secured promotion to the Premier League were also continuing to fight.

Hull City have not conceded in six competitive matches

Ilıcalı recalled that Hull City had not conceded in three play-off matches, including the final. He said the team had also kept clean sheets in three league matches, completing six competitive fixtures without conceding in total, and described the result against different opponents, from Middlesbrough to Manchester United, as a significant achievement.

Commenting on the fact that only reigning champions Arsenal and Hull City had yet to concede in the league, Ilıcalı said it was too early in the season for such comparisons. He said they had worked intensively during the summer, managed the transfer process with his team and built a young, promising squad.

He recounted the story of the Tzolakis transfer

Describing Greek goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis as a special player for him, Ilıcalı said he remembered the goalkeeper from the matches in which he saved three penalties against Fenerbahçe in the UEFA Conference League. Ilıcalı said he had chosen Tzolakis from among three names recommended by goalkeeper coach Erbil Bozkurt and was pleased with the decision.

The aim is to remain in the Premier League

Emphasizing that their objective had not changed despite the positive start, Ilıcalı said Hull City's priority was to remain in the Premier League. He said that if the team stayed in the league, they could sign five or six high-level players with a more advantageous budget next season instead of making 18 transfers.

Ilıcalı also assessed Hull City's away match against Chelsea next week, saying that earning one point from the game would make them very happy. He said such a result would mean their plans for this stage of the season had worked out more than sufficiently.

Acun Ilıcalı calls Hull City’s six-match run without conceding a goal an achievement