Upon learning the identity of Hull City's first four visitors to the KCOM Stadium, former boss Steve Bruce joked how he had considered swimming to the bottom of his holiday pool and staying there. Leicester City, the recently crowned Premier League champions, were the first to be sent to East Yorkshire, followed quickly by Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.
The formidable four might draw the crowds but were unlikely to cough up many points. Leicester, as it turned out, did just that in the weeks that followed Bruce's resignation when losing 2-1 against all the odds, yet the other three title-chasing guests all departed with the victories expected of them.