Hull City v Manchester United: Can the Tigers avoid relegation?

Hull City’s slim survival hopes rest on beating Manchester United and hoping Newcastle United fail to overcome West Ham United on Sunday.

The odds are stacked against the Tigers, but we have found some glimmers of hope amid the gloom that surrounds the KC Stadium.

Out-of-form United

Steve Bruce has a dreadful record against United, having failed to beat them in 20 attempts as a Premier League manager, but he might never get a better chance than on Sunday. Louis van Gaal’s side are certain to finish in fourth place regardless of the outcome, and if their end-of-season party celebrations are anything to go by, they have already started taking their foot off the gas. What’s more, they have only won one of their last five games and their away form has been patchy all season, with only five victories out of 17 on the road in the Premier League.

“We didn’t expect to be in this position but we are and let’s hope there is one final twist and one slice of luck comes our way,” Bruce said in his pre-match press conference. “As soon as the team goes over the white line there is not much more you can do. Let’s turn over Manchester United, which is never easy.” Hull’s own form has been little better than United’s, but the incentive of preserving their Premier League status could make the difference.

Hull’s record against the top sides

For all their struggles this season, Hull have recorded some impressive results against the top sides to suggest they are capable of raising their game. They secured draws against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium and Liverpool at Anfield, and they also clinched a 1-0 win over Brendan Rodgers’ men at the KC Stadium just a few weeks ago.

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"We've been to three top clubs, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, and got a result, and then beaten Liverpool at home as well,” said Bruce, who is confident his charges can defy the odds. "I know we're capable. We know the magnitude of this game and let's make sure we take the chance.”

Carlos Tevez lesson

Back in 2007, West Ham famously survived in similar circumstances on the final day of the season. The Hammers needed an unlikely victory at Old Trafford to have any chance of staying up, and a solitary goal from Carlos Tevez clinched a famous win. Sheffield United played the role of Newcastle and their loss to Wigan sent them down. Similar to this year, United had little to play for on that day in 2007. The title was already wrapped up and the east Londoners capitalised.

Hull don’t have a match-winner of quite the same quality as Tevez, but they do have home advantage on their side. "We're up against one of the top teams but we're at home and we all know the importance of it,” said Bruce. "We can't spend time worrying about the opposition because we’ve shown we're capable against the best teams."

Error-prone United

Another nugget of hope can be found in the fact that they are likely to get chances against United. The Red Devils have been defensively poor this season, and Hull will be hoping the trend continues at the KC Stadium. Van Gaal’s side have made 28 errors leading to shots this season – the highest total in the Premier League. Hull’s task will be to take any opportunities that come their way.  

Newcastle’s ineptitude

Even if Hull do secure the three points, it could all be in vain. But if there’s any club you can count on to drop points, it is surely Newcastle. John Carver’s side have been utterly awful in recent months. They are without a win since February and have lost nine of their last 10 games. West Ham have also struggled, but a victory could be beyond the Magpies. 

Watch Hull City v Manchester United live on Sky Sports 3 HD at 3pm on Sunday