Michael Carrick praised super-sub Benjamin Sesko for his “incredible finish” after the striker’s stunning last-minute volley secured Manchester United a 1-1 draw against West Ham United.
Sesko managed to connect with Bryan Mbeumo‘s cross six minutes into stoppage time, sending it into the top corner and denying Carrick’s former club West Ham a crucial win in their relegation fight.
This marked the second time the Slovenian forward, who has yet to start a match under interim boss Carrick, has come off the bench to score late, having already netted the winner against Fulham.
“It’s all about balance. The players who have started did a fantastic job,” reflected Carrick.
“Ben’s been working hard and is in a good mindset to push forward. He certainly made a significant impact when he came on.”
“What an incredible finish from such an angle to direct it on target and score — it was a phenomenal goal.”
“Ben has always shown he can do this. It’s not a fluke. He’s consistently proven his goal-scoring ability, even in training.”
“It’s not surprising at all. This talent has clearly shown through tonight, especially given the emotional stakes of the match — it was a key moment for him and for us.”
United aimed for their fifth consecutive Premier League win under Carrick but were relieved to walk away with a point after Tomás Soucek had given West Ham the lead early in the second half.
“It’s a mixed bag of emotions,” Carrick admitted. “We recognize we didn’t play at our best, and we have to give credit to West Ham for that.”
“Scoring a late goal after having to search for one is a positive takeaway for us. Overall, four wins and a draw from these last five matches is something we can build on.”
For West Ham, it was a bitter disappointment, as securing a win could have lifted them level with 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, just weeks after they had been seven points adrift.
“Of course, we’re disappointed, both players and fans,” lamented boss Nuno Espirito Santo. “We performed very well, especially in containing a strong team.”
“The start of the second half was promising, we scored, and our defense was solid. Overall, we had a positive defensive showing, and we created moments to potentially secure the win.”
“We must recover from this setback and keep pushing forward — there’s no other way.”
United fan Frank Ilett, who gained over two million social media followers since vowing to refrain from getting a haircut until the Red Devils achieved five consecutive wins, will have to delay his trip to the barber.