Al-Hilal's 47-Game Unbeaten Run Ends in 2-0 Defeat to Neom

Forty-seven games without a loss were enough to make you believe Al-Hilal was almost immune to the Saudi Pro League's surprises. Well, that streak came to an end on its own turf, and with a scoreline that stings: 2-0 against Neom, an opponent that wasn't exactly among the favorites to pull off an upset.

What stands out isn't just the result. It's that Al-Hilal arrived with a perfect record of five wins in five matchdays and an attack reinforced at a genuinely lavish price. Simone Inzaghi, who landed in Riyadh from Inter Milan back in June, decided to start his three highest-profile signings from the opening whistle: Gabriel Martinelli, Ollie Watkins and Crysencio Summerville, players who arrived from Premier League clubs for a combined fee north of $200 million.

On paper, that lineup should have run up the score. In practice, it couldn't even manage to test the goalkeeper: it was the first time all season that Al-Hilal failed to register a single shot on target. That's probably the clearest snapshot of a night to forget.

An own goal and a gut punch before the break

The match unraveled early. In the 15th minute, Kalidou Koulibaly, the center back who arrived from Chelsea, unwittingly became his own team's first tormentor by scoring an own goal. And just before the teams headed to the locker room, right when Al-Hilal needed a response, the decisive blow landed: Ivorian forward Amadou Kone made it 2-0, sealing the first half and, effectively, the entire match.

Martinelli, incidentally, was making his starting debut in an Al-Hilal shirt just four days after arriving from Arsenal. It wasn't the dream evening to introduce himself, though that doesn't change the bigger picture much: a team that hadn't lost in ages ran into a disconnected version of itself, without a goal and without its usual solidity at the back.

For Inzaghi, there are two ways to read this. On one hand, he loses his unbeaten league record with Al-Hilal since taking over the bench. On the other, that perfect five-for-five start, the one that suggested a season free of surprises, is gone too.

The immediate fallout shows up in the standings. Al-Nassr, with Cristiano Ronaldo, now has a chance to draw level on points with the league leader if it wins Thursday's match against Abha. An unexpected loss for Al-Hilal, paired with a stumble this sudden and this loud, leaves the door open just when it seemed the Saudi Pro League was about to have a runaway leader.