According to a report by Evening Standard on Sunday, November 8, 2026, Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic has described Arsenal as the best team in the Premier League when it comes to attacking combinations in the final third following his side's 1-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium.

Hull put up a strong defensive performance against Mikel Arteta's team on Saturday but eventually suffered defeat after conceding in the 72nd minute.

The visitors had managed to frustrate Arsenal for much of the encounter and appeared capable of securing a valuable point in north London before Martin Odegaard broke the deadlock.

Arsenal captain Odegaard reacted quickest after goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis failed to hold Noni Madueke's effort, allowing the Norwegian midfielder to score the decisive goal.

The result extended Hull's winless run to eight matches, although Jakirovic's side remained outside the Premier League relegation zone heading into the international break.

Speaking after the match, the Hull manager praised his players for their determination and tactical discipline against the reigning Premier League champions.

Jakirovic explained that his team approached the contest with an aggressive mentality, attempting to put Arsenal under pressure whenever opportunities presented themselves.

The Croatian manager also revealed that he made tactical adjustments to deal with Arsenal's ability to dominate central areas through their midfield combinations.

According to him, Hull introduced an additional midfielder to make the team more compact and prevent Arsenal from exploiting spaces between the defensive and midfield lines.

He also praised the work of his players for limiting Arsenal's opportunities to build attacks comfortably, although he acknowledged that the hosts possessed enough individual quality to overcome their defensive organisation.

Jakirovic specifically highlighted Arsenal's attacking combinations in the final third, describing them as the best in the Premier League.

The Hull manager admitted that his team needed to improve their decision-making when in possession, particularly during counter-attacking situations, if they wanted to secure a better result against opponents of Arsenal's quality.

He also identified the defensive reaction to the second ball before Odegaard's goal as an area where his players could have performed better.

Despite the defeat, Jakirovic insisted that he had no major complaints about his team's overall performance and believed the experience would help them improve in subsequent fixtures.

Hull will now look to use the international break to address their recent struggles and prepare for their next Premier League assignment after failing to end their eight-game winless run against Arsenal.