Three matches into the Premier League season, Hull City are still to concede a goal.

And whilst they played much of their 0-0 draw at home to Champions League Aston Villa on the back foot, it was they who hit the woodwork, through Mohamed Belloumi.

John McGinn and Emi Buendia both missed great chances to score for Villa, but then so did Oli McBurnie for Hull.

The Tigers are not going to be this season's great entertainers – unless you include coach Sergej Jakirovic's interviews – but you will struggle to find many of a black-and-amber persuasion complaining about that.

AERIAL BATTLE: Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings (centre) competes with Oli McBurnie for the ball (Image: Press Association)

placeholder image — AERIAL BATTLE: Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings (centre) competes with Oli McBurnie for the ball (Image: Press Association)

"Something tells me I'm into something good," the home fans sang on a loop as they closed in on their seventh point from three matches – a record only Bolton Wanderers can beat as a newly-promoted Premier League side.

They have laid a great platform to be back in the top division for 2027-28, although clearly no more than that.

But their rigidity and discipline is buying time for many of their 18 summer signings to acclimatise to a new club and in most cases, a new footballing culture.

Everyone should know the drill with Hull now – they are not particularly fussed about the opposition having much of the ball so long as they do not do much with it.

ON TEH STRETCH: Hull City's Elliot Stroud (left) and Aston Villa's Ian Maatsen compete (Image: Press Association)

Villa had more than two thirds of the ball in the first half and 13 minutes in had their first shot on target in this Premier League season, but George Hemmings' strike was nothing to trouble Konstantinos Tzolakis and it would be their last.

Nicolas Jackson should have scored as early as the second minute, or at least hit the target, but he mistimed his jump and put Ian Maatsen's cross wide.

John Egan through himself in the way of a Ross Barkley shot, touching it just wide. Tyrone Mings had a wild shot.

As the half went on, Hull began to work Zion Suzuki from distance.

LISTEN UP: Hull City coach Sergej Jakirovic gives instructions to Regan Slater (Image: Press Association)

They showed some promise on the counter-attack early on, but when Elliot Stroud showed good footwork to release Ryan Giles, his cross was too far in front of the runners, and when Mohamed Belloumi cut inside his long-range effort was high and wide.

Regan Slater caught a 25-yard volley nicely in the 35th minute, and Belloumi forced a save a couple of minutes later - though again, not a very taxing one.

Suzuki had to get down well to Slater's next long-ranger after good work by Ryan Giles.

Given a chance to respond in the 40th minute, Buendia ballooned a free-kick, and Nobel Mendy eased Jackson away from a Maatsen cross in first-half stoppage time.

The second half was more open, although most of was played at the Hull end.

Inside its first ten minutes, Villa played McGinn and Buendia into excellent goalscoring positions, but both were way off target with their shots. So, in between time, was McBurnie, but at least his effort was from outside the area.

Elliot Stroud hit the side netting in another ineffective display from a new boy who still needs time to adjust.

It took an excellent Egan tackle to stop Hemmings bearing down on goal.

With his side under the pump, Jakirovic brought on Norton-Cuffy and Sorba Thomas for debuts, and it was the former Rotherham United man who had an instant impact.

Norton-Cuffy won the corner played back to Belloumi, whose shot looped over the goalkeeper but hit the crossbar just in front of the far post.

Sixty-five minutes in, there was only one more really good chance to come, and it fell to McBurnie.

He had a sniff in the 88th minute when Suzuki's spill of a Mohamed-Ali Cho strike gave him a glimmer only for the keeper to recover.

But Ryan Giles' 90th-minute cross was begging to be put in, and the ball skewed off McBurnie's boot.

It could have been better, but no one is complaining about Hull's start to the season just now.

Hull City: Tzolakis; Ajayi, Egan, Mendy (Herrington 71); Coyle (Norton-Cuffy 64), Gourna (Hjerto-Dahl 81), Slater, Giles; Belloumi (Cho 81), Stroud (Thomas 64); McBurnie.

Unused substitutes: Phillips, Targett, Mouzakitis, Vaz.

Aston Villa: Suzuki; Cash (Wan-Bissaka 85), Lindelof, Mings, Maatsen (Ruggeri 75); Kamara, Barkley; McGinn, Buendía (Garnacho 75), Hemmings (Alysson 75); Jackson (Abraham 85).

Unused substitutes: Torres, Mbaye, Bogarde, Bizot.

Referee: M Oliver (Ashington).