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Hull City keep clean sheets in their first three Premier League matches
Hull City made an impressive start to their Premier League campaign by keeping clean sheets against Manchester United, Coventry City and Aston Villa. Goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis made nine saves in those matches and was nominated for the August Player of the Month award.
Hull City, who kept clean sheets in all three of their Championship play-off matches, have continued that form in the Premier League, which they returned to after 10 years. The English side became the only team in the league to keep clean sheets against Manchester United, Coventry City and Aston Villa.
Hull City beat Manchester United 2-0 and defeated Coventry City 1-0. Their match against Aston Villa ended in a 0-0 draw.
Bozkurt says the success has come through teamwork
Erbil Bozkurt, who has been Hull City's goalkeeping coach since 2024, said all the players had contributed to the achievement, including the defenders and forwards' defensive efforts.
Bozkurt said they would have accepted seven points from the first three matches if that total had been offered to them at the start of the season, adding that the team, dressing room and coaching staff were in a good position. Bozkurt said he knew the team's strengths and weaknesses and expressed their aim of putting in an even better performance as the season progressed.
Tzolakis makes nine saves in three matches
Greek goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis, who joined Hull City at the start of the season at the age of 23, made five saves against Manchester United, three against Coventry City and one against Aston Villa. Tzolakis played a role in Hull City continuing their run without conceding a goal, making nine saves in total across the three matches.
Bozkurt said Tzolakis, whom they had been following for a long time, was a calm player who was open to development and an important signing for the team. Recalling that the Greek goalkeeper won the UEFA Conference League with Olympiacos in 2024, Bozkurt said Tzolakis was a player who wanted to continue improving.
He became the third goalkeeper in Premier League history
Tzolakis became the third goalkeeper of a newly promoted team to keep a clean sheet in each of the first three Premier League matches. Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Sasa Ilic had previously achieved the feat in the 1998-99 season, while Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Jonas Lössl did so in the 2017-18 season.
Tzolakis, who kept 35 clean sheets in the last two seasons in goal for Olympiacos, was also nominated for the Premier League's August Player of the Month award. The other nominees are Riccardo Calafiori, Rayan Cherki, Bruno Fernandes, Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Mamadou Sangare and Yoane Wissa.
Hull City's goalkeeping squad
Bozkurt said goalkeepers face physical challenges in the Championship and the Premier League, with the adaptation process being particularly important for crosses and high balls. Bozkurt said the season was long and that Tzolakis being named goalkeeper of the year would be a major achievement for both the player and the team.
Bozkurt said two or three goalkeepers from Hull City's under-21 team train with the first team every day, adding that the goalkeeping group was strong and the team would not have problems in that position in the future. Bozkurt said he placed importance on repeating match situations in training when preparing the goalkeepers and stressed that a goalkeeper's primary duty was to prevent goals.
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