Manchester United’s impressive start under Michael Carrick continued in dramatic fashion as Benjamin Sesko struck in stoppage time to seal a thrilling 3–2 victory over F
ulham at Old Trafford.
Goals from Casemiro and Matheus Cunha had United seemingly in control, but late strikes from Raul Jimenez and substitute Kevin stunned the home crowd. Just when it looked like the points would be shared, Sesko produced a moment of magic, swivelling inside the box and firing into the top corner to send the Theatre of Dreams into raptures.
Match Summary
United began brightly, with Amad Diallo and Harry Maguire both testing Bernd Leno early on. Fulham responded through Joachim Andersen, whose close-range effort forced a sharp save from Senne Lammens.
Carrick’s side took the lead when VAR overturned a penalty awarded for a foul on Cunha, ruling it outside the box. From the resulting free-kick, Bruno Fernandes delivered perfectly to the back post, where Casemiro rose highest to head home.
Clear chances were limited before the break, though United went close early in the second half when Leno denied Bryan Mbeumo one-on-one. At the other end, Lammens produced another fine save to keep out Harry Wilson’s free-kick.
United doubled their advantage when Cunha latched onto a sublime through-ball from Casemiro and lashed a stunning finish into the top corner. Fulham briefly thought they had pulled one back through Jorge Cuenca, but the goal was ruled out for offside in the build-up.
Sesko made an immediate impact off the bench, hitting the post with his first touch, while Lammens again came to United’s rescue by preventing an unfortunate Maguire own goal.
Fulham finally broke through when Maguire conceded a penalty, which Jimenez converted. Moments later, substitute Kevin stunned Old Trafford with a fierce strike from the edge of the area to make it 2–2.
But United were not done. Deep into stoppage time, Fernandes found Sesko, who turned brilliantly inside the box and unleashed an unstoppable finish to secure all three points.
Player Ratings
Goalkeeper & Defence
Senne Lammens – 9/10
Outstanding performance. Reacted superbly to deny Andersen, Wilson, and even a potential Maguire own goal. Had no chance with either Fulham goal.
Diogo Dalot – 5/10
Found life difficult against Chukwueze and looked exposed at times in a deeper defensive role.
Harry Maguire – 5/10
Made several important interventions and won aerial duels, but a costly lapse led to Fulham’s penalty.
Lisandro Martinez – 7/10
Another composed display. Kept Jimenez quiet and used the ball intelligently from the back.
Luke Shaw – 6/10
Defensively solid against Wilson but offered limited attacking threat.
Midfield
Casemiro – 9/10
A commanding performance. Opened the scoring, dominated midfield, and delivered a sensati
onal no-look pass to set up Cunha’s goal.
Kobbie Mainoo – 7/10
Recovered well after a shaky start. Showed maturity, defensive awareness, and tidy distribution.
Bruno Fernandes – 7/10
Provided key assists for Casemiro and Sesko. Energetic throughout with flashes of his creative quality.
Attack
Amad Diallo – 7/10
Lively and dangerous on the ball. Tested Leno early and worked tirelessly when tracking back.
Bryan Mbeumo – 6/10
Often isolated and wasteful with his chances, including a poor first touch when through on goal.
Matheus Cunha – 7/10
Inconsistent but influential. Won the free-kick for the opener and scored a superb second goal with a perfectly timed run.