Al-Hilal’s 47-game unbeaten run ends on Martinelli’s debut

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By Adegboyega Adeleye

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Al-Hilal’s remarkable 47-game unbeaten run in the Saudi Pro League has come to an end after a 2-0 home defeat to Neom on Monday.

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According to the Associated Press, the defeat at Kingdom Arena ended Al-Hilal’s perfect start to the season after five consecutive victories and handed coach Simone Inzaghi his first league defeat since taking charge in June 2025.

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The loss also ended Al-Hilal’s bid to close in on Al-Ahli’s Saudi Pro League record of 51 consecutive matches without defeat. Al-Hilal had gone 47 league games without losing, four short of the record.

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The result came on a night when Inzaghi started all three of the club’s major Premier League recruits — Gabriel Martinelli, Ollie Watkins and Crysencio Summerville — with the trio signed for a combined fee reported at more than $200 million.

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Martinelli, who joined from Arsenal, was making his first start for Al-Hilal, while former Aston Villa striker Watkins had arrived in Saudi Arabia only four days earlier. Summerville joined from West Ham in July.

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But the much-anticipated attack failed to produce a goal as Al-Hilal failed to hit the target for the first time this season.

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Neom took the lead after 15 minutes when former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly turned the ball into his own net, before Ivory Coast midfielder Amadou Kone doubled the advantage shortly before half-time.

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Al-Hilal remained top of the table on 15 points despite the defeat, while Neom moved to 12 points.

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Inzaghi accepted responsibility for the setback, saying: “I am responsible for this painful loss, which will deprive me of sleep.”

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The Italian added that his players “did what they had to do” but acknowledged that the team had not performed as required in the first half.

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“I repeat that I take full responsibility for the loss, and such losses bring the players back to reality,” Inzaghi said.

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The defeat ended a run that had stretched across 47 Saudi Pro League matches, with Al-Hilal having won 35 and drawn 12 during the sequence. Their previous best unbeaten league run was 46 matches.

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr also have an opportunity to close the gap on Al-Hilal when they face Abha on Thursday.

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