MANCHESTER, England — Among all the remarks made by Ruben Amorim during his tenure as Manchester United‘s head coach, the comment that frustrated his superiors the most was regarding Benjamin Sesko.
In November, when discussing the 22-year-old striker who was acquired for £73.7 million from RB Leipzig over the summer, Amorim stated it was “a fact” that Sesko had “struggled” in adapting to the Premier League. Management believed these comments were detrimental to a young player adjusting to a competitive league in a new environment.
During Amorim’s time, Sesko managed to score just two goals in 17 appearances. However, following Amorim’s departure in early January, Sesko has netted seven goals in eight matches.
Making his first start under Michael Carrick on Sunday, Sesko scored for the third consecutive game, helping United turn around a deficit to defeat Crystal Palace 2-1, elevating the team to third place in the standings, just behind Arsenal and Manchester City.
Struggling? Not anymore.
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“I’m thrilled for Ben,” Carrick said. “We’re collaborating tightly with him, connecting, and establishing that trust. Ben has put in the effort. He is a talented player with valuable strengths and the ability to score in various ways.”
“He poses a genuine threat. I’m excited to see how far he can go; he has tremendous potential.”
Sesko isn’t just scoring goals—he’s netting crucial ones. His recent tally includes a stoppage-time equalizer against West Ham United, the decisive goal against Everton, and another critical goal against Palace.
Since Amorim’s exit, Sesko’s Premier League goals against Burnley, Fulham, West Ham, Everton, and Palace have collectively earned the team eight points. Without these goals, United would be relegated to outside the top six. Instead, Carrick’s side sits third with 10 matches remaining, on the path to returning to the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2023.
“He’s made a significant impact and is showing vast improvements,” Carrick said. “Part of that is adjusting to being here. He is eager to succeed, puts in an incredible effort, and is a delight to work with. His recent goal was fantastic.”
Sesko’s resurgence began under Darren Fletcher, Amorim’s temporary replacement. After Sesko scored twice in a 2-2 match against Burnley, Fletcher revealed he had spent the previous day showing Sesko a video focusing on his movements and goals.
This newfound form has continued under Carrick, who instilled a similar boost in confidence. After scoring against Everton, Sesko stopped to tell reporters that a key difference now is that “everyone believes in me.” It had become well-known towards the end of Amorim’s tenure that he had prioritized acquiring Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins instead. If Carrick has reinforced Sesko’s self-confidence, the former England international is also to be credited for utilizing Sesko’s strengths effectively.
One critique of Amorim’s style of play was that although he utilized a central striker, he rarely encouraged his wide players to deliver crosses. Sesko started Amorim’s final game–a 1-1 draw against Leeds United on January 4–but didn’t register a shot on target. In contrast, under Carrick, all of his goals against Fulham, West Ham, and Palace have derived from crosses delivered from the wings.
At 6-foot-5, Sesko is a formidable aerial threat and a danger around the penalty area, even though he may appear somewhat awkward in buildup play. His goal against Palace was a powerful header.
Initially, Bruno Fernandes leveled the score with a penalty after Maxence Lacroix, who had scored for Palace in the first half, was dismissed for fouling Matheus Cunha. Shortly thereafter, Fernandes crossed from the right, and Sesko outpaced Jaydee Canvot to direct his finish past former United goalkeeper Dean Henderson. He exited ten minutes later to a standing ovation.
“We started a bit slowly, and they came out strong,” Carrick noted, having secured six wins in his first seven games. “After about 20 minutes, we began gaining momentum, and we finished the half strongly. We discussed at halftime the importance of showing personality and belief in such situations.”
“To stage a comeback in the second half is significant. Our capacity to string together wins in various ways is encouraging.”
United is thriving, and so is Sesko. No other team in the Premier League is unbeaten since Boxing Day, and Sesko has scored more non-penalty goals than any other player in the league during 2026.
With every win under Carrick, Amorim’s tenure appears increasingly unfavorable, while each of Sesko’s goals highlights how misplaced those “struggling” comments were. United is on the verge of a Champions League return, and Sesko is silencing the skeptics.