Manchester United relied on Benjamin Sesko’s impact from the bench for the second consecutive match as the Slovenian secured a 1-0 victory over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Thirteen days after netting deep into stoppage time to salvage a draw at West Ham, the £73.7m forward delivered again. This time, he capped a swift 71st-minute break with a composed first-time finish after initiating the move inside his own half.
Sesko released Matheus Cunha before continuing his run. Cunha’s long ball found Bryan Mbeumo, and by then Sesko had surged beyond Everton’s back line to calmly convert his eighth goal of the campaign.
Only two of those strikes came under former manager Ruben Amorim. He scored three during Darren Fletcher’s two-game spell as interim boss and has now added three more under Michael Carrick, who has won five of his six matches in charge.
Carrick’s trust rewarded once more
Carrick has kept changes to a minimum since taking over, making just two enforced alterations due to injury. Lisandro Martinez was unavailable with a minor calf issue, prompting Leny Yoro to deputise in defence.
United struggled to create clear opportunities for much of the contest, which lacked tempo and fluency after both teams had nearly two weeks without competitive action and no FA Cup fixtures in between.
James Tarkowski produced a crucial goal-line clearance in the first half after Jordan Pickford partially saved Amad’s attempt. At the other end, Senne Lammens denied Harrison Armstrong, while Michael Keane’s powerful long-range drive late on was tipped over by the alert Belgian goalkeeper.
With just under an hour played and chances scarce, Carrick introduced Sesko. The decisive goal followed, though the striker missed an opportunity for a second in stoppage time when he failed to control a through ball from Diogo Dalot, allowing Pickford to gather.
United have now opened a three-point gap over fifth-placed Chelsea and sixth-placed Liverpool. They sit three points behind third-placed Aston Villa, who will visit Old Trafford in three matches’ time, as the race for what appears set to be five Champions League spots intensifies.
Everton left frustrated despite solid display
David Moyes cut a frustrated figure at full-time after watching his side match their high-spending opponents for long stretches without reward.
Everton’s seventh home game without a win in all competitions leaves them ninth in the table. While defensive resilience was evident through Tarkowski, Pickford, and Keane, the cutting edge proved elusive.
There were encouraging signs from Armstrong, former United midfielder James Garner operating at right-back, and Tyrique George, who was denied by Lammens deep into stoppage time as the hosts pushed for an equaliser.
Moyes has spoken about targeting higher objectives following seasons dominated by financial concerns and survival battles. With a new stadium ushering in fresh ambition and no relegation worries this term, mid-table stability may represent a platform to build from, even if aspirations stretch further.