Sesko strides forward as Manchester United edge closer to Champions League return

• Benjamin Sesko delivers decisive late goals to lift United into clear fourth place
• Michael Carrick praises striker’s rapid development and growing confidence
• United build momentum at a critical stage of the Premier League season

Michael Carrick had a neat way of describing Benjamin Sesko’s steady adaptation to life at Manchester United.

“He is growing as a player,” said the United head coach. “Sometimes it’s big steps, sometimes it’s little steps. He has taken some huge ones recently. The confidence and belief he is playing with is great to see.”

Those strides have been evident in United’s last two matches, where Sesko’s impact off the bench has transformed results and lifted the club into a strong position in the race for Champions League qualification. Without his late interventions, United would have lost at West Ham on February 10 and drawn at Everton on Monday night in their first visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Instead, those contributions have pushed Carrick’s side clear in fourth place, three points behind Aston Villa and three ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool, giving United renewed momentum as the season enters a decisive phase.

If Sesko’s stoppage time volley at West Ham was a moment of pure technique, his winning goal at Everton was a demonstration of endurance and composure. After sprinting 70 yards at full speed, having laid the ball off to Matheus Cunha, the Slovenian steadied himself to guide Bryan Mbeumo’s square pass calmly into the net.

“It was a great finish, a ruthless finish,” Carrick said. “I like the way he put it away with real confidence.”

Watching on Sky Sports, former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher was equally impressed.

“Sesko has gone over 80 yards and then finishes,” Carragher said. “You expect him to be breathing heavily after that, but he still has the energy to celebrate properly.”

The goal took Sesko’s tally to eight for the season, a notable return given he managed only two goals under former manager Ruben Amorim, who signed him from RB Leipzig for £73.7 million last August. Six of those goals have arrived in his last seven appearances, beginning with a productive spell during Darren Fletcher’s brief interim tenure following Amorim’s dismissal in early January.

That run has inevitably sparked debate over whether Sesko deserves a starting place. Carrick understands the discussion but insists the bigger picture matters more.

“I get why everyone is talking about it,” he said. “But it is not always as extreme as that. I have a really good relationship with Ben. We have had good conversations and he is in a good place. He obviously wants to play, but we have got some good forwards and I cannot speak highly enough of how he has been.”

For Sesko, the focus remains simple. He is determined to make an impact whenever called upon.

“I believe in me and so do the other players,” he said. “They know what they are going to get when I arrive in the game. Whether that is five minutes or 90 minutes, it does not really matter. It is about showing I can deliver if I possibly can, and I am really happy with that.”

United are benefiting from that mindset. As the pressure rises, Sesko is responding, and in doing so, he is helping carry the club closer to a return to Europe’s top table.