This was supposed to be an easy one, the first, comfortable, step towards defending their Premier League title. And, they had all the big decisions go their way too – a penalty that wasn't and a fullback lucky to stay on the pitch, when he could have easily seen a second yellow. But, even after all that, while playing against a Hull City side who have just gone through one of the worse preseasons imaginable, Leicester City were beaten, and well beaten too, by a Tigers side, down to their bare bones, but one that showed they have plenty of bite still left in them.
The combination of Adama Diomande and Abel Hernandez gave Hull City the lead right on halftime, before a wrong penalty decision allowed Riyad Mahrez to get his Premier League campaign up and running. However, Robert Snodgrass made sure he would have the last word in this wonderful opening Premier League match, striking a shot as pure as they come three minutes before the hour to hand the newly-promoted Hull City, without a permanent manager, their ownership in tatters and a disillusioned fanbase, a fabulous 2-1 victory.
If Hull were expected to just sit back and soak up the Leicester pressure, everyone was in for a surprise, because the home team played some nice football, going forward at every opportunity and causing a couple of problems to the champions' backline as well.
It took a while for the game to really warm up, though, understandable considering this is the first game of the season, but when it did, the chances came aplenty.
The first clearcut one fell to Leicester, with the left-back Christian Fuchs the architect. After playing a nice one-two with Ahmed Musa, the Austrian found himself on goal, but his shot was well saved by Eldin Jakupovic. The chance was not gone, however, as the rebound fell perfectly for Jamie Vardy, who saw his goalbound effort blocked by Jake Livermore. Again, the opportunity was not quite done, as Riyad Mahrez received the ball, did a couple of his dribbles to create some space before firing it wide of the post.
Vardy then was slapping himself after hitting his strike, off a cut-back from summer signing Musa, high as Leicester turned on the pressure in the final moments of the first half.
However, the champions would be made to rue those missed chances, with Hull City taking the lead. Off a corner from Snodgrass, Curtis Davies, who was brilliant at the back for the home side, got ahead of his marker at the near post to glance a header onto goal, which was then brilliantly saved by Kasper Schmeichel, getting that big palm of his in the way. However, the ball fell to Abel Hernandez, whose control off the chest saw the ball loop up into the air. Both Hernandez and Diomande went for the spectacular acrobatic effort, and it was impossible to say who got the touch, with replays suggesting there might have been contact from both of their foots. It mattered little though as the ball went in off the crossbar.
Leicester have Hull a champions reply right at the start of the second half thanks to a champions-usually-receive-those decision. Mike Dean pointed to the penalty spot after Tom Huddlestone brought Demarai Gray down, even though the initial contact was clearly outside the box.
Mahrez stepped up and slotted he ball home to pull the game level, only for Hull to go back up again ten minutes later. Off a poor throw out from Schmeichel, Hull poured forward down the right, with Ahmed Elmohamady whipping in a cross, which was only partially cleared by Danny Simpson. The ball fell perfectly for Snodgrass, to first-time it sweet-as-they-come into the back of the net.
Claudio Ranieri made changes to his team in a bid to inspire his side to come back again, bringing on Daniel Amartey, Shinji Okazaki and Leonardo Ulloa, but the goal would not come and the Premier League would have its first big upset of the new season.
Results: Hull City 2-1 Leicester City; Burnley 0-1 Swansea City; Crystal Palace 0-1 West Bromwich Albion; Everton 1-1 Tottenham; Southampton 1-1 Watford; Middlesbrough 1-1 Stoke City.
