Following a hard fought draw at home to Burnley, one player has made a case for their continued inclusion in Hull City's starting eleven.
Tigers and Clarets settle for a draw
Whilst few among the black and amber faithful went into the tie with high hopes, Wednesday night's game felt a bit like two points dropped as the Tigers shared the spoils with their visitors.
After registering just one shot on target in their loss to Sunderland last weekend, the Tigers flew out of the blocks with far greater attacking intent. In spite of the opposition in front of them, the home side looked eager to play on the front foot and created a number of early chances as a result.
City's dominance in the opening stages was rewarded just before half time when Xavier Simons' deflected effort wrong-footed Clarets' keeper James Trafford and nestled in the back of the net. The 21-year-old's first goal for Hull gave his side a well deserved lead going into the break.
Xavier Simons celebrates scoring his first goal for Hull City against Burnley (Hull City)
As expected, Burnley returned from the dressing room eager to improve on their display in the opening 45 minutes. The Clarets stepped up their intensity in the second period, playing a lot more compact and limiting the Tigers' ability to create opportunities.
The City side that had played such eye catching football in the first half now looked slightly more laboured as they struggled to make inroads in the opponent's half. Burnley's pressure paid off in the 77th minute when Zian Flemming's header levelled the tie.
With momentum now in their favour, the Clarets threw everything at their hosts in an attempt to claim victory. What followed was a resolute defensive display as the Tigers fought hard to protect their point.
Zian Flemming celebrates scoring for Burnley against Hull City (Burnley FC)
Despite losing their clean sheet, it can be argued that City's defence were the standouts on Wednesday night. Alfie Jones and Lewie Coyle put in their usual diligent displays whilst Cody Drameh had arguably his best game yet for the Tigers.
Whilst each member of the backline played their part, the clear star of the show was Charlie Hughes. Making just his second start for the Tigers, the centre back's showing against Burnley has surely now cemented his position in Tim Walter's starting eleven.
Charlie Hughes the hero as Hull hold on
After struggling in his debut against Norwich City, Hughes' performance against Burnley has put any early doubts to bed. As per FotMob, the 21-year-old ranked as the strongest performer on Wednesday night, earning himself a rating of 8.1.
The central defender's stats from the game back up this acclaim with Hughes imperious in the air over the course of the tie. Winning 100% of his duels, the 21-year-old made light work of one of the league’s most potent attacks.
Much like his predecessor Jacob Greaves, the 21-year-old is a central defender who looks effortlessly comfortable with the ball at his feet. Hughes' three passes into the final third against Burnley saw him play exquisite long balls over the opposition defence, creating chances for his teammates.
Whilst it is still early days in his time with the Tigers, Hughes looks perfectly suited to Walters' style of play. The German's system has shown to pile the progressive onus upon the shoulders of City's defenders, a duty that the 21-year-old appears to relish.
In spite of his prowess with the ball at his feet, Hughes does not neglect the fundamentals of his position. Standing at a little over six foot tall the Englishman is still able to use his physicality to brush attackers aside. Winning three fouls over the course of the game, it is clear that Hughes' presence is a frustrating one for opposing players.
Charlie Hughes tackles Burnley's Zian Flemming (George Wood/Getty Images)
Whilst it is rare to have full confidence in any defender, it felt like an inevitability that Hughes would win the ball anytime he went up for a challenge. The MKM Stadium crowd even picked up on this phenomenon, bellowing out the defender's name every time he cleared the ball away from danger.
After picking up well deserved plaudits on Wednesday night, Hughes' performance may have left some City supporters wondering why it took so long to give the defender a shot in the starting eleven.
Despite signing for the Tigers back in August, Hughes' had to wait until last weekend's tie against Sunderland to make his full debut in black and amber. The Englishman had been initially kept out of the side by Walter's preference for Sean McLoughlin who played all of the Tigers' opening fixtures.
Whilst the Irishman was initially given the nod in the centre of defence, it quickly became clear that McLoughlin was not quite up to speed with Walter's style of play. Often caught out in possession, the calls for Hughes to replace the 27-year-old grew louder with each passing game.
Hull City's Sean McLoughlin (Hull Live)
Right at the moment that it looked like Hughes would be kicking off his City career, the defender was dealt an unfortunate blow when an appendix issue sidelined him for a further couple of weeks. With consecutive starts now under his belt, the 21-year-old has put his previous struggles firmly in the rearview mirror and has managed to win over the Tigers' faithful in the process.
Whilst Hughes has only lined up for his new side on three occasions, many fans have already seen enough to hail the defender as the Tigers' new star man at the back. After struggling to break into the team in his early days at the MKM Stadium, the 21-year-old's performance against Burnley has surely cemented his spot in the starting eleven for the foreseeable future.
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