Carrick Praises Sesko’s Dramatic Impact in United’s Victory Over Fulham

Michael Carrick hailed Benjamin Sesko as a “big talent” following the Manchester United forward’s dramatic stoppage-time winner in a 3-2 victory over Fulham at Old Trafford on Sunday.

At just 22 years of age, Sesko has yet to start a match under Carrick, who took over as head coach last month. Thus far, he had only accumulated nine minutes of playing time as a substitute in Carrick’s first two games.

However, the Slovenia international emerged as the match-winner, netting his sixth goal in 21 appearances since transferring from RB Leipzig this summer, with a crucial strike in the 94th minute after being assisted by Bruno Fernandes.

Carrick expressed his delight, stating, “It was a huge moment. We are so, so pleased; everyone in the dressing room felt the excitement. The reception he received upon returning to the changing room spoke volumes.

“He has been bright in training and has displayed a dangerous edge. Ben is a big talent with numerous positive attributes. Today’s goal was monumental. Scoring a winner in front of the Stretford End is a dream come true for any player, and he truly deserved it.”

United had initially secured a comfortable 2-0 lead before Fulham staged a late comeback, scoring twice after the 85th minute to level the match. Carrick, however, remained confident in his team’s ability to reclaim the lead.

“I was quite calm throughout the game,” he noted. “While I was disappointed with Fulham’s second goal, I recognized that there were still eight minutes left, and I remained optimistic that we would find a breakthrough.

“It’s challenging to keep emotions in check when a goal like that is scored against you, but I had a sense that we would create a moment. The excitement is an integral part of this club, even though it can sometimes be a difficult path. We would prefer to win games more comfortably.”

On the other hand, Fulham’s coach Marco Silva criticized what he deemed a “horrendous” refereeing decision made by John Brooks and the VAR officials, which he believed contributed to his team’s downfall.

Brooks initially appeared to award a penalty for a foul by Jorge Cuenca on Matheus Cunha, but replays indicated Cuenca had played the ball cleanly. After a lengthy review, the decision was overturned, resulting in a free kick awarded to United for a shirt pull by Cuenca. United subsequently scored from this set-piece, with Casemiro heading in Fernandes’s free kick.

Silva lamented, “The story of the game began with a horrendous decision by John Brooks regarding the penalty. It was a major mistake. This was the first time all of us in the Premier League got to witness such an error, and we must channel our frustration into winning the next match.

“The penalty was given due to the tackle; however, after the erroneous decision, they found a different foul. The reason for the free kick? It was a really poor choice on the referee’s part.”