Hull City and Preston North End find themselves locked in a tense relegation battle in the 2024-2025 EFL Championship season. Both clubs are struggling near the bottom of the table, with Preston sitting 20th and Hull City just one place below in 21st position. Their recent head-to-head match saw Hull City claim a crucial victory, though Preston maintains a slight advantage in the overall standings..
Recent head-to-head encounter
The most recent clash between these struggling sides took place on April 21, 2025, at Hull’s MKM Stadium. Hull City emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over Preston North End. Joe Gelhardt proved to be the difference-maker for the Tigers, converting two penalties to secure all three points for the home side.
Preston managed to find the net once but couldn’t prevent Hull from claiming a vital victory. This win represented a significant moment for Hull City in their fight to avoid relegation, though it wasn’t enough to lift them above Preston in the table.
Current Championship standings
As of May 2025, Preston North End occupies 20th position in the Championship table with 50 points from their complete season of 46 matches. Their record shows 10 wins, 20 draws, and 16 losses. Preston’s goal difference stands at -11, having scored 48 goals while conceding 59 throughout the campaign.
Hull City sits just one place below in 21st position with 49 points from their 46 matches. The Tigers have recorded 12 wins, 13 draws, and 21 losses. Their goal difference is marginally better than Preston’s at -10, with 44 goals scored and 54 conceded.
Relegation implications
Both teams are perilously close to the relegation zone in the Championship. With only a single point separating them, every match and every goal has proven crucial in this tight battle for survival. Preston’s ability to secure draws (20 compared to Hull’s 13) has been key to maintaining their slight advantage.
Hull City’s higher number of wins (12 compared to Preston’s 10) hasn’t been enough to overcome their greater number of losses (21 compared to Preston’s 16), This illustrates the inconsistent nature of Hull’s season, while Preston has shown more stability, albeit at a generally low level of performance.
Championship context
While Hull City and Preston North End battle near the bottom, the top of the Championship table tells a different story. Leeds United and Burnley are tied at the summit with 100 points each, followed by Sheffield United with 90 points. The contrast between the promotion contenders and relegation fighters highlights the competitive nature of England’s second tier.
The remaining fixtures for both Hull and Preston will be critical in determining their Championship status for next season. With such fine margins separating the teams, goal difference could ultimately prove decisive in this tense relegation struggle.