Carrick must offload Manchester United star after winning just one game against Fulham

Benjamin Sesco came off Manchester United’s substitute bench in the final stages, returning Michael Carrick to the interim spotlight and clinching a third consecutive win.

A hat-trick victory looked like smooth sailing for the popular 44-year-old after Matheus Cunha made it 2-0 in style as the Red Devils approached a two-goal lead.

It proved far from easy in the end as Marco Silva’s Cottage made an unexpected late comeback. Thankfully, the former RB Leipzig marksman ended up successfully defeating Bernd Leno to claim a dramatic Premier League victory. That means Carrick and the team will remain in the top four for another day.

Kevin’s superb equalizer set the stage for this grandstand finish, with United’s defense falling back and allowing the Brazilian a great chance to shoot, but the Red Devils were in disarray and had some excellent performances from start to finish.

Manchester United’s best performer vs Fulham

In the final minutes of the game at 3-2, journalist Samuel Luckhurst described the victory as “euphoric” and said it was a clear sign of United’s never-say-die attitude.

In the end, Sesco stole the headlines, but this was also due to the aforementioned great attacking play from Cunha. Cunha has a very impressive record with two goals and one assist in the three games coached by Carrick.

Casemiro’s no-look assist was a beautiful moment from Cunha’s powerful attack, and the 33-year-old also took part in the goal-scoring act himself, capping off the defensive midfielder’s composed display.

Apart from the scorers, Bruno Fernandes also dazzled the Theater of Dreams crowd with two assists, while Amad Diallo scored his own goal on the right flank for Carrick’s team, with three successful dribbles and six duels won.

Last but certainly not the last, Coby Mainu once again impressed as a first-team player in a resurgent period under manager Carrick. The number 37 was a solid midfield anchor next to Casemiro and bravely won seven duels himself.

However, not all of the substitute manager’s starting lineup was at the top of their game.

Manchester United’s biggest poor performance vs. Fulham

It was far from the hosts’ most sophisticated defending as Raul Jimenez’s late penalty from Harry Maguire gave the visitors a much-needed lifeline.

After that spot-kick was confidently delivered, Kevin benefited from some loose marking to make it 2-2, with Maguire’s equally experienced defensive partner Luke Shaw not at his best in an end-to-end game.

Shaw has put aside the negative effects of his injury so far this season, which is a big plus for a defender who has grown accustomed to the small confines of the treatment room.

Still, even if he was chosen as United’s main left-back all season, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t tend to miss out here and there, and the 30-year-old played six games against Silva’s side throughout the afternoon, winning just one.

Additionally, No. 23 was quiet throughout, failing to win a single tackle, and as a result, Shaw looked a bit stagnant, unable to make a single accurate cross in the forward area or complete a successful dribble. In contrast, against Arsenal, Shaw was far more involved, winning high-five duels and only having one pass derailed.

Carrick has a selection conundrum here, with the Red Devils having no other recognized left-back at their disposal. Diogo Dalot, 44, is assessing whether he is a suitable substitute for United’s next game against Tottenham Hotspur, and could potentially fill the gap if necessary.

The worry will be whether Shaw, who had a rusty individual performance against Fulham, starts to lose some of his sharpness if played relentlessly.

But for the most part Carrick would have been satisfied with his side’s performance as they battled back to take all three points. The Red Devils will be hoping to extend their new manager’s 100% winning record the next time they face Spurs.