Hull City 1-1 Brentford: Shots Tell Two Stories

Hull City and Brentford played out a 1-1 draw, and the shot numbers point to a match that Brentford controlled more than the scoreline suggests. Brentford took 14 shots to Hull's 12, and six of their attempts were on target against Hull's two. That gap in shots on target is the clearest sign that the visitors pressed harder in the areas that matter.

The chance-quality picture backs this up. Brentford had 11 shots inside the box to Hull's seven, and both sides created two big chances and missed one each. Brentford held 57 per cent of the possession, while Hull managed 43. Taken together, the numbers show Brentford getting into dangerous positions more often, but neither side turned its dominance into a second goal.

Hull's goal came from the penalty spot after Oli McBurnie was brought down, and McBurnie converted it in the 24th minute. He was the only Hull player to score, and his one shot on the night was also on target. The early yellow card to Aaron Hickey in the 23rd minute set the tone for a physical opening, and the penalty followed almost immediately.

Brentford's equaliser arrived in the 63rd minute through Dango Ouattara, who had come on as part of the visitors' changes at 62 minutes. Ouattara was one of the more productive attackers on the night, with four shots and two on target before he was replaced in the 78th minute. Igor Thiago, who started for Brentford, registered the assist, giving the visitors a clear route to goal in the second half.

Mohamed Belloumi was Hull's most active attacking player with four shots, although none of them found the target in the recorded data. Hull's limited shots on target helped keep the home defence under less pressure in the closing stages, but it also meant that Belloumi's volume did not translate into a reliable threat.

The result leaves both clubs in similar territory. Hull City have 10 points from eight matches, with two wins, four draws and two defeats, and their last five results read D-L-D-L-D. Brentford have 11 points from the same number of games, with two wins, five draws and one defeat, and their recent run is D-L-D-W-D. Hull have scored nine and conceded eight, while Brentford have scored 14 and conceded nine, so the visitors have the stronger attacking record this season.

For Hull, the draw is a point earned against a side with a better goal return, and the penalty they won gave them a platform they could not build on. For Brentford, the dominance in shots and possession suggests they will be frustrated to leave with only a point, particularly given that six of their shots tested the goalkeeper. Both clubs will look at the finishing numbers as the main area to improve.