Hull City are very much the story of this early Premier League season. A week on from their shock win at Manchester United, Sergej Jakirovic's side made it two from two with a 1-0 victory at the Coventry Building Society Arena — and the away end was in absolutely no doubt about what it all means. "We're gonna win the league," rang out with full conviction as Liam Millar wheeled away in celebration.

It was a cruel moment for Coventry, who had been the more threatening side for large stretches of an absorbing afternoon. This was, as club owner and chair Doug King noted before kick-off, a first Premier League home game for the Sky Blues in more than 25 years — and their first top-flight fixture at this stadium. The atmosphere before kick-off was something else entirely. King, sporting an elephant brooch on his suit — a nod to the animal on Coventry's badge and the city's coat of arms — joined tens of thousands of supporters in belting out The Enemy's We'll Live and Die in These Towns, the club's pre-match anthem. Pyrotechnics left a haze drifting across the pitch as referee's whistle sounded.

All that goodwill deserved a better footballing reward.

Coventry threaten but cannot convert

Taiwo Awoniyi, making his full league debut for Coventry, was a persistent nuisance. He sent one weak header straight at Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis and later forced a smart right-hand save after Loum Tchaouna's cross deflected off Nobel Mendy's head. Frank Lampard cycled through his substitutions in search of a breakthrough, and the introduction of Gus Hamer — something of a cult figure in these parts — lifted the home crowd noticeably. Yet a clear sight of Tzolakis's goal remained stubbornly elusive.

Hull, for their part, were direct and disciplined rather than pretty. Their only shot on target before the decisive moment was a speculative long-range effort from left-back Mendy. Millar, introduced on the hour in place of Elliot Stroud, almost gifted the match away moments after coming on. With 74 minutes on the clock he ignored the unmarked Mohamed Belloumi to his right and sent a shot bobbling wide — a miss that drew a visible look of disgust from Jakirovic on the touchline.

Millar makes amends in ruthless fashion

The Canadian winger, though, does not appear to dwell on mistakes. Eight minutes from time, Hull broke with pace and purpose on the counter, and Millar finished with composure — coolly slotting past Carl Rushworth to put his side ahead. Coventry had been pushing for a goal of their own and were caught dangerously open. It was a sucker-punch in every sense.

At the final whistle, Millar and Jakirovic conducted the Hull celebrations in front of a jubilant away end. The market will now be paying serious attention to a side that have beaten Manchester United on the road and followed it up by silencing a historic occasion for a rival club. Whether the early-season optimism is sustainable over 38 games is another matter entirely — but for now, Hull City sit top of the Premier League with a 100% record, and nobody connected with the club looks remotely minded to temper their expectations.

For Coventry, two defeats from two and still no points on the board. Lampard stood arms folded at full time, and the hard work of building a top-flight outfit from scratch continues.

Frequently asked

Who scored the winning goal for Hull against Coventry?
Liam Millar scored the only goal of the game in the 82nd minute, coolly slotting past Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth to give Hull a 1-0 win.
How many Premier League games have Hull won so far this season?
Hull have won both of their Premier League games so far, following up a victory at Manchester United with this 1-0 win at Coventry, giving them a 100% start.
Why was the Coventry vs Hull game historically significant for Coventry?
It was Coventry's first Premier League home game in more than 25 years, and also their first top-flight match played at the Coventry Building Society Arena.