Let's be honest, all we really care about today is that Stoke City played Liverpool off the park and roundly humiliated Steven Gerrard on his final appearance for the club. Yes, it really was 6-1. Alas, we're also duty-bound to note that something happened at the KC Stadium today, and that thing was Manchester United playing out a miserable 0-0 and relegating Hull City in the process.
Hull headed into this game with everything to play for and United with pretty much nothing to, which meant it wasn't too surprising that Hull played like a team that cared and United, well, didn't. Much of the game's opening quarter was played out in the Reds' half, including a manic couple of minutes in which the Tigers had two goals ruled out for offside, and Victor Valdés made a tremendous save to keep out an Ahmed Elmohamady bullet header.
As the clock ticked on, United seemed to steady the ship and started to dominate possession, though Hull keeper Steve Harper didn't have a save to make by the time the half time whistle sounded.
The game livened up early in the second half, with Ander Herrera denied by a brilliant Michael Dawson block shortly before David Meyler volleyed a knockdown over the United crossbar.
Before long, news filtered through to the home crowd that Newcastle had taken the lead against West Ham, meaning things were entirely out of Hull's hands. That didn't stop the Tigers throwing everything at United, with Quinn almost guiding a venomous cross home shortly after a flap from Valdés culminated in a frantic goalmouth scramble.
United were firmly second best against the third-worst team in the league, and only Valdés kept the game goalless with a brilliant reaction stop to deny Nikica Jelavić inside the final 20 minutes.
Credit to Marouane Fellani, he at least forced United into waking up with 10 minutes left, though unfortunately he did so by earning a red card for a vicious stamp on Paul McShane. Meanwhile, at St. James' Park Newcastle were now 2-0 up against the Hammers, and suddenly Hull didn't have anything to play for either. The tempo subsequently seeped out of Hull's play, and the game ended goalless after a glacial seven minutes of stoppage time.