Man United up to third as Sesko’s hot streak of crucial goals continues

MANCHESTER, England — Of all the things Ruben Amorim said while he was head coach of Manchester United, the one that annoyed his bosses the most was about Benjamin Sesko.

Asked in November about the 22-year-old striker, signed this summer for £73.7 million from RB Leipzig, Amorim said it was “a fact” that he had “struggled” to reconcile with the Premier League. The opinion from above was that the comments were not helpful to a young player trying to adapt to a tough league in a new country.

Sesko scored two goals in 17 games for Amorim. But since Amorim’s departure at the beginning of January, Sesko has scored seven goals out of eight.

Starting under Michael Carrick for the first time on Sunday, Sesko scored for the third game in a row as United came from a goal down to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 and move up to third in the table behind Arsenal and Manchester City.

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“I’m thrilled for Ben,” Carrick said. “We work closely with him, we connect with him and build that relationship and that trust. A lot depends on Ben. He’s done the job. He’s a good player and he has great strengths and he scores different types of goals.

“He’s such a real threat. I’m really excited to see where he can go. He has tremendous potential.”

Sesko doesn’t just score goals, he scores important goals. In his last three games, he scored an equalizer in stoppage time against West Ham United, the winner against Everton and another winner against Palace.

Since Amorim’s dismissal, Sesko’s Premier League goals against Burnley, Fulham, West Ham, Everton and Palace have earned the team eight points. Without them, United would not be in the top six. Instead, Carrick’s side are third with 10 matches remaining and on course to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2023.

“He’s had a huge impact and he’s making great strides,” Carrick said. “Part of it is getting used to being here. He desperately wants to succeed, he works very hard and he’s a pleasure to work with. It’s a fantastic goal.”

Sesko’s renaissance began under Amorim’s initial replacement, Darren Fletcher. After the Slovenia international scored twice in United’s 2-2 draw with Burnley, Fletcher revealed he used the day before the match to show Sesko a video “showing his moves and showing his goals”.

The form which began at Turf Moor continued under Carrick. Fletcher said he told Sesko he “has to keep believing”, and Carrick received a similar confidence boost.

Shortly after scoring at Everton, Sesko stopped in the mixed zone to tell reporters that one of the big changes was that “everyone believes in me”. Towards the end of Amorim’s reign, it became an open secret that he wanted to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins instead. If Carrick has instilled some self-confidence in Sesko, the former England midfielder also deserves credit for playing to his strengths.

One of the criticisms of Amorim’s football was that he played with a central striker, but did not seem to ask his wing players to cross into the box. Sesko started Amorim’s last match in charge – a 1-1 draw at Leeds United on January 4 – and failed to get a shot on target. Under Carrick, his goals against Fulham, West Ham and Palace all came from crosses launched from wide areas.

With long limbs and a lanky style, Sesko can still sometimes appear clumsy when asked to help with construction. But at 6ft 5in he is formidable in the air and lively in and around the penalty area. His goal against Palace was a headed ball.

Firstly, Bruno Fernandes equalized from the penalty spot following an incident which saw Maxence Lacroix – Palace’s first-half scorer – sent off for removing Matheus Cunha. Then Fernandes appeared on the right and delivered a cross from which Sesko rushed past Jaydee Canvot and scored his finish past former United goalkeeper Dean Henderson. He left 10 minutes later to a standing ovation.

“We were a bit off at the start and they started really well,” said Carrick, who has now recorded six wins from seven matches in charge. “After about 20 minutes it started to turn in our favor and we finished the half stronger and then we spoke to them at half time about being in that position and showing some personality and belief.

“Coming back like we did in the second half and turning the game in our favor is the most important thing. To make our run and do it in different ways is encouraging for me.”

United is flying, and so is Sesko. No other Premier League team is unbeaten since Boxing Day, and no player in the league has scored more non-penalty goals in 2026 than Sesko.

Amorim’s reign looks worse with every victory under Carrick, while every goal from Sesko makes these “in trouble” comments even more inappropriate. United are heading for a return to the Champions League and Sesko proves the doubters wrong.