The Tigers have made a solid start to life in the top flight, but are without a win in their last five league matches.

Hull City are still one of the main candidates for relegation from the Premier League this season, despite an impressive start that has them sitting ninth in the table.

That's the view of former Bradford City and Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Don Goodman, who now works in television as an EFL pundit.

The Tigers were the surprise package of the Championship last season, securing a play-off spot with a sixth-place finish, before stunning Millwall and Middlesbrough to clinch promotion to the top flight for the first time in 10 years.

Pundits were queuing up to predict an immediate return to the Championship for Sergej Jakirovic's side, but the Tigers have started the season well, losing just two of the first seven matches and securing a top-half position in the process. But despite their impressive start, Goodman, 60, still thinks they face an uphill task to keep their Premier League status intact.

Speaking to Betway about Hull, he said: "They were one of the worst defences in the Championship last season, but they've started this season defensively solid, and it obviously helped them at the weekend even though they lost the game.

"But they stayed in the game even though it would be a painful loss to Fulham, who are struggling down there. I do think the performance was worrying from a Hull City point of view. They allowed themselves really to be dominated pretty much from start to finish.

"It was only really that little bit of defensive resilience and wayward finishing from Fulham that helped keep them in the game. So they were in the game, that's the positive. I guess the bad news would be if we'd have been watching that and it was the first game of the season most people, including me, would be considering Hull already relegated, it was so poor from them.

"Thankfully for them, it wasn't and they have proved to be a competitive side in the first seven games. They're currently two points ahead of the last time they were in the Premier League, which ultimately finished in relegation. They're level on points to where they were the time before that, and that finished in relegation.

"So, there's not a lot of wriggle room really still for Hull City. You look at the next two fixtures, they're both at home where they are unbeaten, where they've won one and drawn two.

"They've got Brentford and Ipswich coming up in those games and you do get the feeling that they are two pretty massive games really for Hull."

The Tigers got their return to top-flight football off to a flying start with 2-0 home win against Manchester United, before following up with an away win against fellow promoted side Coventry City.

But they are now without a league win in their last five matches and face a tough examination at home to the Bees on Sunday afternoon, who are defying expectations themselves.

When asked if Hull can steer clear of the relegation zone this season, Goodman added: "I think it's too early to say at this moment. As I said, I think that performance away at Fulham was a slight worry.

"I know the next two games are at home, but Brentford in particular, I've seen away from home this season and they are a very, very good team.

"So, it's going to be a real test for Hull in that one especially. From my perspective, I do think the next little batch of five or six games will give us more of a clue because they're in and around the same points as the last two times that they got relegated from the Premier League.

"But you do see a bit more resilience about them this time, there's no question about that, and that needs to be standing them in good stead, I would say."