Much-discussed Hull City debate settled in style after Acun Ilicali surprise, new favourites emerge
The last time Hull City won in London, it was the season they won promotion from League One as champions - a 3-0 success at Plough Lane against Wimbledon in February 2021, nine games ago.
Trips to the capital have largely been long and disappointing for those City fans who make the trek down to the Thames, but all that was forgotten on Tuesday night when Tim Walter's class of 2024 eased to a 3-1 victory at QPR.
Those supporters who braved the horrific weather and exorbitant ticket prices will have been delighted to see their side win at Loftus Road, no doubt many there in recent seasons to see some pretty abject displays under Shota Arveladze and Liam Rosenior.
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After five minutes, it felt like things might go a similar way with Rangers banging on the shed door like the proverbial gale, but thankfully, Ivor Pandur held firm and refused to succumb, his determination allowing Walter's men to build a platform from which they could go and win the game with goals from Cody Drameh, Chris Bedia and Liam Millar.
Only a Rangers penalty rattled in off the bar could get past 'pink Pandur' as Walter described him after the game, a nod to the bright fluorescent goalkeeping strip he wore, to deliver a performance to remember.
Here, Hull Live looks back on another pivotal performance - and result, from Walter's improving Tigers....
Winning feels good, doesn't it?
Let's be honest, City haven't won many games in recent months and I include the back end of last season in that. In fairness, it's been away from home where they've got the most joy in 2024. No team in the Championship has won more than the eight City have away from home (a record shared with Leeds United).
Watching City at home has often been a chore rather than a pleasure, but with three wins in a row for just the second time this calendar year, the smiles are there for all to see - and there's just something extra special about an away win, hundreds of miles from home on a Tuesday night in the pouring rain.
It's been a rough few weeks, even going back to last season when City missed out on the top six, so getting that feeling of winning games of football back is important, and to do it with a bit of style and some goals is even more enjoyable, so long may it continue.
Pandur's performance
The goalkeeping subject has generated no shortage of comment over the past few months, not least from the Hull City owner Acun Ilicali, and with the arrivals of Anthony Racioppi and Carl Rushworth, everybody expected Pandur would lose his place.
Arguably, the one who didn't was Pandur himself. He's got down to work and is refusing to give up that number one shirt and on this performance, he's going to be hard to dislodge.
From the first minute, he was exceptional. It's no exaggeration to say City could have been 4-0 down inside the first six minutes, and the fact they weren't was down to Pandur himself, and the big saves he made. Thereafter, he was superb, his reading of the game, handling and distribution were on point. His display gave City the platform to go on and do what they did.
It's no exaggeration to say that's as good an all-around goalkeeping performance as I've seen in a long time, and it's great to see how Pandur has grown in recent weeks because he's relishing this challenge and taking it full on.
Wing wizardry
We talked a lot last season about wingers, how City were impacted when Jaden Philogene was injured, and how Anass Zaroury didn't really live up to the billing, but this season, they're in a different place, and arguably one that's healthier.
They might not have Philogene, but in Liam Millar and Mohamed Belloumi, they have two wingers who are starting to find their groove in the Black and Amber.
Belloumi may not have got on the scoresheet at Loftus Road, but he was largely unplayable, while on the other flank, Millar's intent was obvious from the get-go, determined to run at his man and try and make things happen. His first City goal was nothing more than his performance deserved, and in truth, you felt it was coming given how he played.
Going forward with Millar, Belloumi and Abu Kamara, City have a plethora of options out wide, they have threats, pace and balance and not too many sides will relish coming up against them.
And above all else, they're exciting to watch, aren't they?
Way too open
Walter's side are doing plenty of good things going forward, without any doubt. After a toothless start to the season which saw City averaging just three attempts on target in their opening few games, the dial has been turned and now they look a real threat and are carving out chances.
The worry, however, remains at the other end. Despite winning three in a row and all the positivity those results have generated, the Tigers are still shipping plenty of chances, and that's something he'll want to see change.
In their win at Stoke, City afforded the Potters 14 attempts on their goal while in the 4-1 success over Cardiff City on Saturday, the Bluebirds mustered 16 and QPR notched up 21, so 51 in three games. They may have only conceded three times from those 51 efforts, but at some point, they may come unstuck.
Walter's cavalier style will naturally see the opposition create, but against better quality opposition, being quite so generous may well be a problem.
Looking strong
City's starting XI showed three changes from the one which dispatched Cardiff City on Saturday with Xavier Simons, Kasey Palmer and Liam Millar all coming in at the expense of Oscar Zambrano, Abdus Omur and Marvin Mehlem, and he was able to bring those players on late in the game, with Zambrano especially making a key difference in the middle of the park.
Those changes were purely rotational from Walter with Saturday's trip to Norwich in mind but it showed the strength in depth at his disposal with Charlie Hughes and Joao Pedro still to come into the fold.
While City were preparing for the game in London, the Under-21s were winning a fifth game in a row, beating Coventry City away from home and that saw Gustavo Puerta bag for Conor Sellars' side, further adding to the plethora of options at Walter's disposal, and those options will be crucial as the season wears on, especially over the winter months when the pitches get heavier and hopefully, there might be an FA Cup run thrown in for good measure - we can but dream.
Off to Carrow Road, we go
Always one of the most daunting away trips for any team in the Championship, Saturday's visit to Carrow Road will be another stern test of their progress, and probably the toughest road trip so far, aside from Leeds United.
That said, City are in form, they have momentum with them and the Canaries will be concerned having seen City notch 10 goals in three games, including six in their last two on the road.
Challenges will get tougher in the next few weeks, but if the Tigers can go to Carrow Road and come away with a positive result, something they struggle to do at the home of the Canaries. Since their last win in 2010, the Tigers have lost four and drawn one. losing their last three in a row.
The omens are good, however, given City hadn't won in London in eight attempts, or at QPR in five years before Tuesday night, so you just never know.