Manchester United secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday, moving three points clear of top-five rivals Chelsea and Liverpool. While the win was not pretty, manager Michael Carrick was full of praise for his team's spirit and defensive resilience.
The decisive moment came in the second half when substitute Benjamin Sesko embarked on a stunning 70-yard run to convert a pass from Bryan Mbeumo, capitalizing on a counter-attack started by the Slovenian striker himself. The goal proved to be the difference in a match where Everton applied significant pressure.
Speaking after the game, Carrick acknowledged the difficulty of the fixture but lauded his team's character. "Certainly was. We had to do a lot of work tonight. Credit to Everton they made it difficult. But I thought the spirit, the way we defended as a team, was top class. In the end the clean sheet was great. Listen we can play better than that, a lot better in some aspects," Carrick admitted.
The United boss was particularly effusive about Sesko's impact off the bench, describing the finish as ruthless. "Great finish. It was a ruthless finish. He put it away with real confidence. Great play from Matheus and Bryan to set it up. We've got the players to do that on the break. Delighted for Ben, coming on to help us again," he said.
Carrick also highlighted the contributions of goalkeeper Senne Lammens, whose composure and shot-stopping proved vital in securing the clean sheet. "He made a couple of really good saves. He looked really calm and composed in a tough environment. A lot of corners coming in under his bar and a lot of bodies. Good clean catches and he was immense for us tonight," Carrick stated.
When questioned about Sesko's prospects of starting games, Carrick emphasized the importance of patience and development. "Listen, Ben's in a good place at the moment. We've had some really good talks about it. Patience is one thing and building him and growing, developing him as a player. He's a patient and he understands he's going to be a big player for us for a while now."
Sesko himself, speaking after the match, reiterated his commitment to delivering whenever called upon. "It's just important that when I come inside I use the time to help the team whether five minutes or 90 minutes. It's just about showing I can deliver. I believe in me and the players help as well. They know what they're going to get when I arrive in the game and it's up to me to deliver," the forward said.
The victory lifts United to fourth place with 48 points, keeping them firmly in the Champions League conversation as the season progresses.
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