Manchester United were held to their third-successive Premier League draw after failing to break down a stubborn Hull City side at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils' best chance of a goalless match fell the way of second-half substitute Juan Mata, who was kept out in superb style by Eldin Jakupovic.
Hull had a couple of chances of their own late on, but Abel Hernandez failed to make the most of his opening when breaking through and Lazar Markovic hit the post from his attempt.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Join Sports Mole for live coverage of the Premier League meeting between Manchester United and Hull City at Old Trafford. The Red Devils are aiming to close the gap on the top four this evening, having seen the sides above them - rivals Manchester City aside - drop points on Tuesday. Visitors Hull, on the other hand, have a different ambition in mind - retaining their top-flight status.
Plenty the play for at Old Trafford this evening, then, as these two sides face off for the third time in the space of 23 days. Hull fell to a narrow defeat here in the first leg of the EFL Cup, before picking up a consolation win at the KCOM Stadium less than a week ago. It is league points that we are playing for over the next few hours, though; league points that these two sides could desperately do with right now for differing reasons.
TEAM NEWS!
MANCHESTER UNITED XI: De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Rojo, Blind, Carrick, Herrera, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Rashford, Ibrahimovic
HULL CITY: Jakupovic, Tymon, Maguire, Dawson, Robertson, Huddlestone, Meyler, Evandro, Markovic, Clucas, Niasse
As expected, United boss Jose Mourinho has made mass changes to the side that beat Wigan Athletic comfortably here a few days ago. Just two players retain their place in the starting lineup, in fact - Marcos Rojo and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Nine changes in all made by the Portuguese, then, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Michael Carrick - skipper for the night - all returning.
Mourinho had already confirmed that Anthony Martial would not start tonight's game, having seemingly failed his 'audition' when given a chance to impress against Wigan on Sunday - that despite assisting a couple of goals. Wayne Rooney fails to retain a spot in the side, meanwhile, but the stats suggest that he could play a pivotal role from the bench tonight, as has scored seven and assisted four in seven league appearances against Hull.
The one surprise omission from the squad is Eric Bailly, who was supposedly fit enough to feature this evening - clearly not. Mourinho unsurprisingly sticks with his tried-and-trusted 4-3-3 formation, which has managed to get the best out of the returning Pogba in central midfield. Ibrahimovic will be the focal point through the middle, looking to add to his tally of 19 goals in 31 appearances in all competitions - 14 of those coming in the Prem - with Mkhitaryan and Marcus Rashford alongside him for support.
Switching attention to the visiting side, manager Marcos Silva has made four changes from Sunday's defeat to Fulham in the FA Cup. Michael Dawson, Oumar Niasse, Harry Maguire & Josh Tymon all come back into the starting lineup, with injured skipper Curtis Davies, Omar Elabdellaoui, Abel Hernandez & Adama Diomande the men to make way. The absence of Davies is a big blow for Silva, but he has brought in Andrea Ranocchia to help fill the void - a decent addition for a side bottom of the division.
Ahmed Elmohamady is another who misses out on selection due to his ongoing Africa Cup of Nations involvement, while Markus Henriksen, Will Keane, Ryan Mason and Moses Odubajo also remain sidelined. Far from ideal for the Tigers, but the decision to leave out Hernandez is a big call by the Premier League rookie boss. Two goals in three upon his return from injury was good going, though he failed to net in the subsequent three outings and is overlooked today.
It appears as though Hull will go with a 4-2-3-1 formation this evening, albeit with those attacking players tucking into midfield when soaking up pressure. Lazar Markovic, still with something to prove in English football, joins Sam Clucas and Evandro in providing support for loan striker Niasse. Silva is already very much putting his spin on this side, particularly in attacking with those three new additions, but will they have the desired impact between now and May?
BENCH WATCH!
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Mata, Rooney, Martial, Smalling, Lingard, Young, Romero
HULL CITY SUBS: Hernandez, Ranocchia, Elabdellaoui, Maloney, Diomande, Marshall, Bowen
New recruit Ranocchia among the subs for Hull, then, as is striker Hernandez - overlooked for Niasse - but Kamil Grosicki and Alfred N'Diaye are not in the squad this evening. Man United with plenty of attacking options, meanwhile, with Rooney, Juan Mata, Martial, Lingard and Ashley Young all among their back-up options. Chris Smalling is the only non-attacking outfield option, in fact, so plenty of ammunition to call upon.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has made nine changes to the side that saw off Wigan Athletic 4-0 here a few days back. Among those to return are star duo Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with the latter now trailing Alexis Sanchez and Diego Costa in the Premier League scoring charts. Marco Silva has made the four alterations to his starting lineup, meanwhile, though there is no place for new recruit Andrea Ranocchia from the off.
A big chance for the home side to cut that five-point deficit on the top four this evening, then, with Tuesday night's results very much going their way. The Red Devils start the evening still in sixth place, but they are now two points off rivals City in fifth and five off an out-of-form Liverpool in that final Champions League berth. Chelsea may well be running away with it, opening up a nine-point advantage over the chasing pack, but it remains incredible tight elsewhere.
Defeat for Arsenal at home to Watford, as well as draws for Tottenham and Liverpool, means that we could end the day with just three points between second and sixth in the top flight. United are the team very much in the ascendancy, too, going 13 games without defeat to put themselves right in the mix for a spot in the Champions League next term. Mourinho has decided against strengthening in the winter window, with the big topics of discussion instead being those who would - and have - made way.
Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay were allowed to leave for decent sums of money, as Mourinho gears up for a summer approach for Antoine Griezmann. Just paper talk at the moment, of course, but you do feel as though this side is still one top-class attacker away from matching Chelsea at the top. That is for then, though - for the next three months the Portuguese has a select group of players to choose from and, on the basis of the past two months, you would fancy the Red Devils to finish in fourth.
A run of six Premier League wins in succession, followed up by draws in their most recent two outings, has helped put memories of a real disappointing autumn firmly in the past. Mourinho finally tinkered and went with three across midfield and three across attack, which was always likely to get the best out of Pogba. A draw against Liverpool here last time out was not the worst of results, particularly having trailed for an hour, and the Stoke game was also a point gained due to the late nature of Rooney's leveller.
With resumption of European football later this month, and United still in the hunt for success in the EFL Cup and FA Cup, the fixtures are going to come thick and fast for Mourinho in the coming weeks. Mourinho has already hit out at the scheduling, as EFL Cup final opponents Southampton conveniently have a nice little rest prior to that showdown at the end of February, and the rearranged league match with Man City may also come at a bad time.
You have to say that, having been backed in the summer to bring in a few star names, winning at least one piece of silverware is the minimum target for Mourinho. The Portuguese will also know the importance of securing Champions League for next season, too, but the Red Devils remain on course to achieve their ambitions at this stage in the campaign. Winning the Premier League is certainly out of the question, yet a cup double and success in Europe would not be all that bad!
The good news for the Red Devils is that they have a nice run of fixtures to keep this momentum going. Their league tie with Man City has been shifted due to involvement in the EFL Cup final, but that match is expected to be played at some point over the next month. That aside, not until April do United face another heavyweight side. United's impressive unbeaten run in all competitions may have ended at the hands of Hull recently, but they now have a chance to pick up a further succession of wins.
DID YOU KNOW? Manchester United's 13-game unbeaten run in the Premier League is their longest since going 18 under the watch of Sir Alex Ferguson in March 2013. The Red Devils have also registered 77 attempts on target at Old Trafford this season in 11 league games - more than they managed across the duration of 2015-16 under Louis van Gaal, whose style of play never managed to win over supporters.
Manchester United could move to within two points of Liverpool in fourth place with victory over Hull City this evening. A good omen for the Red Devils - they have picked up an unrivalled 63 points from Premier League games played on a Wednesday night. With Manchester City also in action, we could end the evening with three points between second place and sixth.
The Tigers with their work cut out this evening, then, and things certainly do not look all that great for them at the moment - despite a recent improvement - as they sit bottom of the division. While Tuesday proved to be a great night for United, it was the complete opposite for City as Sunderland, Swansea and Crystal Palace all picked up points - the latter two winning their outings.
Hull do look to be on the up under new boss Silva, however, winning half of their six games in all competitions under the Portuguese. Just one of those victories came in the Premier League, mind - victory over Bournemouth at the KCOM Stadium last month. Defeat to runaway league leaders Chelsea was a little tough to take last time out - seeing a penalty shout turned down at a pivotal moment in the game - but the less said about the 4-1 reverse to Fulham the better.
That loss to Fulham in the FA Cup came just a few days on from their EFL Cup exit at the hands of tonight's opponents United, so all focus can now go on retaining their status as a Premier League club. This is the second of a tough run of league games, though, as they follow up matches against Chelsea and Man United by facing Liverpool and Arsenal over the next fortnight. It is fair to assume that things could get worse before they get better for the bottom-placed side.
This tough run of games makes the subsequent matches against Burnley and fellow strugglers Leicester and Swansea even more important for City. They may be five points from safety but six sides are now involved in the fight for survival, including both Middlesbrough and Leicester who have recently been dragged into the mix. Two wins in 20 for the Tigers is simply not good enough, but they did manage to bring in eight new faces during January.
Inter Milan's Ranocchia was among those to temporarily on board, while the injured Henriksen has been signed permanently from Alkmaar after a successful loan stint. The departures of Jake Livermore to West Brom and Robert Snodgrass to West Ham has left supporters more pessimistic than optimistic, though, with the latter accounting for 10 goals in Hull's 20 league outings to date. Incredible figures, and it will be incredibly tough to replace him in the side.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! This is the fourth encounter between these two sides this season and the third inside 23 days. Hull City's recent 2-1 win was their first ever over Manchester United in any competition since November 1974, but the Tigers have just one point from their previous nine Premier League matches. It took a late, late goal from Marcus Rashford to win the reverse fixture at the KCOM Stadium, though City were on a high at that point.
With kickoff at Old Trafford now a little over five minutes away, let us turn attention to some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Jose Mourinho: "The last time we played them, even a defeat would have been a good result. Even to lose the match by one goal difference would give us a final. And tomorrow only three points is a good result for us so if we don't win it's really bad because we need to win matches. That's a big difference, we need to win the match."
Marco Silva: "Andrea is a good signing for us and he plays in a position that we needed to add to. We are happy with Michael Dawson, Harry Maguire and Curtis Davies but in these last games they do a lot to help the team. With the injury to Curtis now, we needed to bring in one more player. He has the quality to help improve our squad."
Mourinho making clear that United's defeat to Hull last week - one that he initially refused to accept - mattered little to his side. It may have been a famous win for Hull, what with it being their first over the Red Devils since 1974, but it was United who progressed into the final of the EFL Cup - job done! Silva has talked up the arrival of his new purchase, meanwhile, yet there is no place for Inter loanee Ranocchia from the off tonight.
Both sets of players are now out on the field of play, with kickoff at Old Trafford just a few moments away. Since collecting four points from their first two away games, Hull have lost nine in succession and scored just six in all. A terrible run of form, with the concession of penalties a particular issue - 10 given away so far, which is just one off the record set by Blackburn Rovers in 2006-07.
KICKOFF! Ibrahimovic gets us up and running at Old Trafford - the third meeting between these two sides in the space of just a few weeks. Premier League points on the line this evening, with Manchester United closing in on the top four and Hull City aiming to climb out of the bottom three.
It has taken just two minutes of this match for Mkhitaryan to get in behind. A ball from Herrera was latched on to by the Armenian, but Robertson recovered well and hooked the ball clear before his opponent could shoot.
United have made a bright start to the match, as a Valencia cross is flicked on by Ibrahimovic into the path of Rashford. The ball had a little too much pace on it in the end, however, and went straight out for a goal-kick.
Naughty from Ibrahimovic, as he barges into Maguire whose momentum then carries him into Jakupovic. A little telling off from referee Mike Jones, who warns the ex-Sweden international to calm it down if he wants to avoid a booking.
A scare for United as a free kick from deep is met by Maguire five yards out. The defender headed the ball wide after getting away from Pogba, but the referee had already blown for an infringement inside the box.
United started the game well on top, but little between the sides over the past five minutes or so - Hull edging things, if anything. City clearly looking to utilise the counter when possible and also make the most of any set-pieces.
Good passing play from United, but Hull have two blocks of four back behind the ball to make life extremely tough for the hosts. Mkhitaryan was in behind just two minutes in, though that has proved to be a one-off so far.
YELLOW CARD! Mike Jones shows a yellow card to Oumar Niasse for a late challenge on Rojo. Seemed a little harsh to me, and the official is now having to explain his decision to Hull skipper Dawson who was equally bemused.
SAVE! Top effort from Ibrahimovic, who was being closely watched by Huddlestone but still worked a yard of space to blast a shot on target from 25 yards out. Jakupovic helped it behind for a corner, from which Rojo headed over.
SHOT! United stepping things up over the past few minutes, with Pogba seeing plenty of the ball in the final third. Valencia's cross is only cleared as far as Blind, who smashes the ball over the bar from 16 yards.
Already turning into a busy evening for Robertson, who gets across well to cut out Valencia's latest cross. Some very fluid football from the Red Devils, but they have yet to make that killer breakthrough at Old Trafford.
Hull have settled into the game a little more and are now putting some passes together of their own. United still the more likely to make the breakthrough, but Silva will be happy with what he has seen over the past few minutes.
A period of Hull possession ends with Maguire blasting the ball high into the stands to a chorus of ironic jeers. The hosts just need to find their rhythm again having lost it over the past five minutes, with just the one shot on target so far.
Good switch of play to Rashford out on the left, but he fails to keep it in play. Update from the Man City game - they lead West Ham by three goals, with just 40 minutes of the game played. A little more pressure on United to pick up three points here.
An absolute horror challenge from Niasse on Carrick. He was booked for a rather innocuous tackle on Rojo a little earlier but this one certainly warranted a yellow at the very least - referee Mike Jones clearly failed to spot it.
United again step things up, urged on by their supporters following a rather quiet spell in the game. Still just the one shot on target for United so far - Ibrahimovic being denied by Jakupovic with a belter from range.
Herrera has three runners to pick out, but his attempted through-ball is cut out brilliantly. Silva will be more than happy with the way things are panning out at the moment; United the team on top but not truly threatening.
Home supporters getting a little tetchy as a cross comes into the United box. Not quite happened for the Red Devils who, a strong 10-minute spell aside, have failed to really click into gear into the final third of the pitch.
SAVE! A second shot on target from Ibrahimovic, which this time is rather tame down the middle for Jakupovic to keep out with relative ease. Josh Tymon catches a stud in his midriff and is now receiving some treatment.
Tymon appears to be OK to continue for now after some patching up. That two-minute pause in play has certainly done little to help the Red Devils find some forward momentum, as Hull continue to stand strong at the back.
Jones unhappy with the lack of movement from his more advanced teammates, as the ball is again worked back to Rojo. A couple of Mkhitaryan crosses are cleared away, but that latter passage has given home supporters something to cling onto.
SAVE! Superb play from United - their best passage of the evening so far. Ibrahimovic played in Pogba with a fine flicked pass, but the Frenchman was denied but a strong Jakupovic hand with just the keeper to beat.
CHANCE! Half a chance for Maguire, who meets a corner into the box but can only send it right down the middle where De Gea is well positioned to keep it out. That would have been a major sting in the tail, but looks like we will go into the break all square.
Three minutes of time have been added on at Old Trafford, two of which have already passed without incident. Markovic is picked out in space but he sends the ball high over the United bar from a rare Hull opening.
HALF TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 0-0 HULL CITY
The half-time whistle sounds at Old Trafford, bringing an end to an opening 45 minutes edged by Manchester United. The Red Devils probably just about enough to warrant a lead, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic testing Eldin Jakupovic and Paul Pogba coming closer. Hull City have hung in their, though, and we are all square at the midway point.
United were allowed to boss possession at times in the first half, but they could only create a few shooting opportunities across the opening 45 minutes. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, one of nine players to return to the side from the win over Wigan Athletic, worked a yard of space when closely followed by Tom Huddlestone but could not get the better of Eldin Jakupovic down the middle.
Next to come close was Marcos Rojo, who sent a half-cleared cross over the bar, before Ibrahimovic saw a second attempt of his own easily kept out by Jakupovic. Only once did the Red Devils truly carve the visitors open, but Paul Pogba was unable to make the most of his big opportunity when picked out by a superb flick from Ibrahimovic, again being thwarted by Jakupovic.
Hull were looking to make the most of any set-piece deliveries, while also hitting their opponents on the counter, and the closest they came to a first-half opener arrived 44 minutes in when Harry Maguire sent a header straight down the middle. All still to play for in the second 45, then, with the pressure particularly on Man United to move through the gears.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Mata, Rooney, Martial, Smalling, Lingard, Young, Romero
HULL CITY SUBS: Hernandez, Ranocchia, Elabdellaoui, Maloney, Diomande, Marshall, Bowen
RESTART! We are back under way at Old Trafford, where there is news of a half-time alteration to bring you. Wayne Rooney is on in place of Michael Carrick, as Jose Mourinho alters his formation slightly. Forty-five minutes for Hull City to hold on.
Slow start to this second half from both sides, with the home fans still urging their team on. Still not time to panic, as a cross into the box is headed into the hands of Jakupovic. Good gameplan on show from the visitors.
Just the one Premier League point in nine meetings with United for Hull, but they are well on course to doubling that tally. Rooney is looking to drag the ball forward but he, like his teammates, is devoid of ideas in front of that Hull wall.
Hull's best moment of the match so far, as a sweeping ball from Robertson on the left finds Niasse. The forward could not quite set himself for the shot so laid the ball off for Markovic, who was himself unable to test De Gea.
Ibrahimovic so nearly through on goal, but he could not quite bring down a searching long ball over the top. A really open feel to this match over the past five minutes, with Hull refusing to sit back and hold out for the point.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Jones pulls up with some sort of muscle injury and is replaced by Smalling. A real blow for the outgoing player, who has struggled with numerous issues in the past. Chance for Smalling to hold down his place.
CHANCE! Superb first touch from Rashford but his shot is scuffed wide of target. Not for the first time today, United create a good opening but lack that quality required in front of goal. That opener does appear to be coming, though!
A 50-50 challenge ends with the ball popping up for Herrera, who tries his luck from all of 45 yards out. Not sure if it was even on target in the end, with Jakupovic happy to collect the loose ball. An hour played, Mourinho may be thinking about that final change.
CLOSE! Valencia's cross is knocked down by Rashford into the path of Rooney, who scuffed his attempt. Ibrahimovic was well positioned to take it on, though, but could only send it behind the target for another let-off.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Mkhitaryan is the third and final United player to make way, with Juan Mata on in his place. Mourinho now rolled the dice for one final time, with his side requiring a goal in these next 26 minutes.
Niasse, yet again, goes in incredibly late. It was Carrick in the first half and Blind on this occasion, but the referee has let him off. Not quite sure how the Hull striker is on the pitch, having already been shown an earlier yellow.
HULL CITY SUB! Ranocchia is introduced for his debut, taking the place of Tymon. A big call from Silva to bring the Inter loanee on three quarters of the way through a match, particularly when looking to protect a point.
HULL CITY SUB! The home fans starting to grow seriously frustrated now. Matters are not helped by Hull players halting player whenever they can, with a couple of visiting stars pulling up with cramps. Niasse is replaced by Hernandez.
Clever Rashford pass almost creates something for United, but Jakupovic was quick to pounce. Prior to that, Pogba nodded a corner away from his own goal when well positioned to make a breakthrough. Now into the final quarter of the match.
HULL CITY SUB! Third and final Hull change, as Evandro - struggling with cramp - is replaced by Elabdellaoui. All six changes made now, with 16 minutes to go. United starting to really turn the screw now but it just will not go in.
SAVE! What a save! Unbelievable from Jakupovic, who has made a few simple stops already tonight. A header came back across goal and Mata, all of three yards out, looked to turn it in at the back post. Jakupovic got across and somehow kept it out on the line.
That Jakupovic stop really was something else, with goal-line technology required to help the referee. Rashford whips a cross towards the back post but Rooney could not quite get his head on it. One-way traffic now at Old Trafford.
YELLOW CARD! Huddlestone is the second Hull player to be shown a yellow card for his infringement. United looked so dominant a little earlier but they have failed to create anything over the past five minutes, and once more supporters are getting frustrated.
That momentum United had built up has faded away. Hull will be delighted with the way the final 10 minutes are shaping up, as their opponents are not really doing a great deal with the ball. Another United draw beckons, with eight minutes to go.
YELLOW CARD! United appeal for a penalty that they were never going to get, and Rooney is shown a yellow card for dissent. Markovic also went into the referee's book a couple of minutes ago for a trip. Real tension around Old Trafford at the moment!
OFF THE POST! OH MY WORD! Markovic with a glorious chance to win it. The substitute was picked out inside the box but could only send his shot back off the inside of the post and out to safety. Could he have done better? Possibly.
CHANCE! Hernandez with a glorious chance of his own. Hull counter and the substitute striker is pretty much through on goal, but the ball gets stuck under his boots and his shot is easily kept out by De Gea.
Five minutes have been added on at Old Trafford. It is Hull who are creating the best chances at the moment - one for Markovic and one for Hernandez. A sense that things are getting away for United, as they are heading for a third draw in a row.
Two of the five minutes of added time now played, and United still no closer to that elusive breakthrough. That was until the ball came in for Rojo, at least, as his header was kept out by Jakupovic. Time for one more chance in this match.
SAVE! United completely dominating this match in added time. Pogba's shot was well kept out by Jakupovic, who is having to really work overtime late on. The Hull stopper is having an absolute stormer this evening - the clear Man of the Match.
FULL TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 0-0 HULL CITY
The full-time whistle sounds at Old Trafford, meaning a third-successive draw for Manchester United in the Premier League. Full credit to Hull City, who came here with a gameplan and so nearly picked up a famous victory if not for some poor finishing from their attacking players late on. No denying who the Man of the Match was, though - Tigers stopper Eldin Jakupovic, who produced one stunning save in particular.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events at Old Trafford. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while reaction from this and the night's other matches can be found elsewhere on the site over the next hour or so. Thanks for joining!
