Sesko’s Stoppage-Time Strike Rescues Manchester United in Old Trafford Thriller

Substitute Benjamin Sesko struck deep into stoppage time to rescue Manchester United from a dramatic collapse, sealing a pulsating 3–2 Premier League victory over Fulham at Old Trafford.

What looked like a routine win for United was turned into chaos late on, as Fulham clawed back from two goals down before Sesko’s decisive intervention earned Michael Carrick his third consecutive victory as interim manager.

United had taken control early. Casemiro opened the scoring in the 19th minute, rising highest to power home a header from Bruno Fernandes’ cleverly delivered free-kick. It marked United’s 14th set-piece goal of the league season and underlined Casemiro’s growing influence.

The Brazilian midfielder then turned provider shortly after the break. Spotting the run of Matheus Cunha, Casemiro threaded a perfectly weighted no-look pass through Fulham’s defence, allowing Cunha to rifle an unstoppable finish into the roof of the net for a commanding 2–0 lead.

Before that, United had looked sharp from the outset. Amad Diallo had tested Bernd Leno early on, while Fulham responded with a close-range effort from Joachim Andersen that forced an excellent reaction save from Senne Lammens.

The game appeared under control until Fulham found renewed belief late on. A counter-attack released Raul Jimenez, whose initial effort was saved before Harry Maguire’s follow-through conceded a penalty. Jimenez stepped up and dispatched the spot-kick confidently to halve the deficit.

Momentum swung fully in Fulham’s favour in stoppage time. Substitute Kevin produced a moment of brilliance, cutting inside from the right and curling a sensational effort into the top corner to level the match at 2–2 and stun Old Trafford.

But United had one final response. A slick combination involving Noussair Mazraoui and Fernandes carved Fulham open, and the captain’s cut-back found Sesko inside the area. The Slovenian forward took one touch before smashing his finish home to restore United’s lead and secure all three points.

The late winner preserved Carrick’s perfect start in the Premier League and extended United’s unbeaten league run to seven matches. The victory keeps them fourth in the table on 41 points, one ahead of Chelsea and within touching distance of Aston Villa.

For Fulham, it was a cruel end to an impressive comeback.

Marco Silva’s side showed resilience and quality to fight back, but ultimately left Old Trafford empty-handed and slip to eighth in the standings.

Man of the Match: Casemiro