Semi Ajayi: ‘A point at home is always positive,’ says Hull defender

Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi won both man-of-the-match awards in Hull City’s 1-1 draw with Brentford at the MKM Stadium, and said a point at home is always positive.

Ajayi took the Premier League’s Player of the Match award and Hull’s official fan poll, with 43.6% of the vote ahead of Oli McBurnie, Tim Iroegbunam and Lewis Coyle, according to Premium Times’ roundup on 26 October. Soccernet previewed the game in Hull City vs Brentford: Preview, h2h as Ajayi meets Igor Thiago.

He won five of six tackles, made four clearances, five recoveries and two interceptions, as Hull bounced back from their defeat to Fulham the week before.

Ajayi on the draw

Ajayi said, as quoted by Premium Times, that the response to the Fulham defeat mattered.

It’s important that we had a good bounce back from last week; we did that.

He did not hide his disappointment at missing out on a win.

We are definitely disappointed not to come away with the three points, but a point at home is always positive.

Analysis: A reminder for Chelle at centre-back

Ajayi’s numbers, five tackles won from six plus 11 clearances, recoveries and interceptions, come in the week the Super Eagles are thinking about their central defenders. Gabriel Osho is serving a three-game ban after Cardiff’s failed red-card appeal, and Calvin Bassey played every minute of Fulham’s win over Coventry.

A Premier League man-of-the-match display against Brentford does not select a squad, but it adds to the case for Ajayi when Eric Chelle names his group for Tanzania.