MANCHESTER, England — Of all the things Ruben Amorim said during his time as Manchester United’s head coach, the one that annoyed his bosses most was something about Benjamin Sesko.
Asked in November about the 22-year-old striker, signed for £73.7 million from RB Leipzig in the summer, Amorim said it was “a fact” that he had “struggled” to come to terms with the Premier League. The view from above was that the comments weren’t helpful to a young player trying to adapt to a tough league in a new country.
Sesko scored two goals in 17 games for Amorim. But since Amorim’s departure in early January, Sesko has seven goals in eight.
Starting under Michael Carrick for the first time Sunday, Sesko scored for the third game in a row as United came from a goal down to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 and move up to third in the table behind Arsenal and Manchester City.
Struggling? Not anymore.
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“I’m delighted for Ben,” said Carrick. “We’re working closely with him and connecting with him and building that relationship and trust. A lot is on Ben. He has put the work in. He is a good player and he has got some great strengths and scoring different types of goals.
“He is such a real threat. I am really excited where he can get to. He has got huge potential.”
Sesko is not just scoring goals — he’s scoring important goals. In his past three games, he has a stoppage-time equalizer against West Ham United, the winner against Everton and another winner against Palace.
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Since Amorim was sacked, Sesko’s Premier League goals against Burnley, Fulham, West Ham, Everton and Palace have earned the team eight points. Without them, United would be outside the top six. Instead, Carrick’s team is third with 10 games left and on course to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2023.
“He has had a huge impact and he’s making big improvements,” said Carrick. “Part of it is getting used to being here. He is desperate to do well, he works so hard and he is a pleasure to work with. It’s a fantastic goal.”
Sesko’s revival started under Amorim’s initial replacement, Darren Fletcher. After the Slovenia international scored twice in United’s 2-2 draw with Burnley, Fletcher revealed he used the day before the game to show Sesko a video “showing his movement and showing his goals.”
The run of form which started at Turf Moor has continued under Carrick. Fletcher said he told Sesko he “needs to keep believing,” and there has been a similar boost of confidence delivered by Carrick.
Shortly after scoring at Everton, Sesko stopped in the mixed zone to tell reporters that one of the big changes is that “everyone believes in me.” It became an open secret toward the end of Amorim’s reign that he wanted to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins instead. If Carrick has injected some self-belief into Sesko, the former England midfielder also deserves credit for playing to his strengths.
One of the criticisms of Amorim’s football was that he played with a central striker, but didn’t appear to ask his wide players to put crosses into the box. Sesko started Amorim’s last game in charge — a 1-1 draw at Leeds United on Jan. 4 — and didn’t have a shot on target. Under Carrick, his goals against Fulham, West Ham and Palace all came from crosses whipped in from wide areas.
With long limbs and a gangly style, Sesko can still sometimes look awkward when asked to take part in the buildup. But at 6-foot-5, he’s terrific in the air and sharp in and around the penalty area. His goal against Palace was a bullet header.
First, Bruno Fernandes equalized with a penalty following an incident for which Maxence Lacroix — Palace’s goal scorer in the first half — was sent off for pulling back Matheus Cunha. Then Fernandes popped up on the right and delivered a cross from which Sesko darted ahead of Jaydee Canvot and arrowed his finish past former United goalkeeper Dean Henderson. He went off 10 minutes later to a standing ovation.
“We were a bit off to start with and they started really well,” said Carrick, who has now registered six wins from seven games in charge. “At about 20 minutes it started turning in our favor and we finished the half stronger and then talked to them at halftime about being in that position and showing personality and belief.
“To come back like we did in the second half and to turn the game in our favor is the biggest thing. To put together the run we have and to do it in different ways is encouraging to me.”
United are flying, and so is Sesko. No other Premier League team is unbeaten since Boxing Day, and no player in the league has scored more non-penalty goals in 2026 than Sesko.
Amorim’s reign looks worse with every win under Carrick, while every Sesko goal makes those “struggling” comments look ever more misplaced. United are heading for a Champions League return, and Sesko is proving the doubters wrong.
