While it might feel like a lifetime since the last Manchester United game, the draw with West Ham brought Carrick’s winning run to an end, but the late equaliser means they remain unbeaten under their interim manager. With big questions still over the squad, the manager’s future and of course the battle for Champions League places, the game against Everton provided a real scrap for the player to contend with, and while they may have come away from this game bruised and exhausted, they take all 3 points thanks to another Sesko goal late into the game.

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Teams

Everton: Pickford, Branthwaite, Keane, Tarkowski, Garner, Gueye, Iroegbunam (Beto 79′), Armstrong (George 73′), Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Barry

Subs: King, Patterson, Coleman, Mykolenko, Rohl, McNeil, Dibling

Manchester United: Lammens, Shaw, Maguire, Yoro, Dalot, Mainoo, Casemiro, Cunha (Heaven 90′), Fernandes, Amad (Sesko 58′), Mbeumo (Mazraoui 78′)

Subs: Bayindir, Malacia, Moorhouse, Ugarte, Fletcher, Zirkzee

Everton 0-1 Manchester United

Everton’s home clash with Manchester United on Monday evening ended in narrow disappointment, as United secured a 1–0 victory at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. In a tight Premier League encounter that rarely burst into life, it was a moment of quality from the visitors’ bench that made the difference. Substitute Benjamin Šeško came off the United bench to find the decisive goal in the 71st minute, finishing clinically after linking up with Bryan Mbeumo on the counter, started by a brilliant pass from Matheus Cunha.

The first half was a largely cagey affair, with both sides showing plenty of endeavour but few clear openings. Everton worked hard to keep United quiet in the final third, blocking efforts and disrupting rhythm, while United’s possession game was patient rather than incisive. Neither goalkeeper was seriously tested before the break, and the scoreboard remained goalless at half-time.

The breakthrough came after the interval when United finally carved out a moment of quality. Matheus Cunha’s long pass forward found Bryan Mbeumo, whose cut-back was efficiently dispatched by Šeško as he anticipated the delivery and curled his finish past Jordan Pickford. The goal underlined the impact of United’s summer recruits and extended Šeško’s impressive run of substitute goals this season.

Everton responded with spirited late pressure, forcing corners and probing for an equaliser, but United’s defence, marshalled with discipline, stood firm. United keeper Senne Lammens also made some important interventions to preserve the slender advantage. In the end, the narrow victory reflected a gritty away performance more than a free-flowing spectacle. The win lifted Manchester United up the Premier League table and continued an encouraging run under interim boss Michael Carrick, while Everton remain frustrated in their quest for home success.

Talking Points

The first talking point from another United win under Carrick has to be the goalscorer Benjamin Šeško. After his equaliser against West Ham, there were calls for a start for the young forward given his physical presence and ability to hold up the ball against a more defensively minded opposition. Carrick held firm however and used his player from the bench earlier than normal, with Šeško arriving onto the field in the 58th minute where previously he’d been held back until the very closing stages. It didn’t take long for Šeško to make an impact, with a couple of moments where he could have forged a chance, before some poor build-up play scuppered the opportunity. With 71 minutes on the clock, Cunha’s terrific ball to Mbeumo saw another chance created which the Slovenian tucked away calmly, before letting his emotions rip as his celebrations showed a real passion and determination. With this goal bringing his United tally to 8 in 24 appearances, and 6 coming in this calendar year, he’s now surely in line for a full run-out against Palace or Newcastle, with Carrick reassuring that his time will come.

The second talking point comes from the other end of the pitch, as Everton piled their whole squad into the box for several successive corners, which were a huge brawl at times, with Yoro and Tarkowski getting into it on occasion, and Maguire having to be the enforcer for United. Despite these 10 corners being taken, none came to any real threat in large part due to the work of Senne Lammens. While the new keeper in his debut season at United hasn’t managed many clean sheets, this one felt deserved, as the Belgian took a complete command of the penalty area despite the chaos going on around him. Often holding onto the ball from shots and being strong in his claims, this shows a huge shift from the start of the season in which Onana and Bayindir had both showed struggled in these moments. With the transfer arguably going under the radar this season with the attacking reinforcements, Lammens may well be the solution that calms things down between the sticks for United long-term.

Speaking of calming things down, we have to talk about the calmest man in the organisation, as Michael Carrick continues to remain a steady hand on the wheel at the club. With 11 games remaining to see out the season, this unbeaten run looks to be solid, and while tough times may lie ahead, Carrick keeps the company line in saying what fans want to hear, without giving the press too many headlines like previous managers have struggled with. Given his obvious leadership and managerial abilities, I personally think Carrick’s biggest strength to get the job full time comes from his calmness like he’s seen everything before and will deal with any issues as and when they arise.