Benjamin Sesko struck in the 94th minute to seal a 3-2 win that preserved Michael Carrick’s perfect Premier League start with Manchester United, after
Fulham had staged a late rally at Old Trafford on Sunday to level from two goals down.
Sesko’s decisive finish, driven in on the turn from Bruno Fernandes’ cross, lifted Manchester United into fourth place and made it three wins from three league fixtures under Carrick, who continues an impressive early record in charge despite another anxious ending.
Earlier, Manchester United appeared in full control. Casemiro rose to head in a 19th-minute opener, then produced an exceptional no-look pass that released Matheus Cunha, who calmly doubled the advantage on 56 minutes, and Sesko even struck the post at 2-0 as Fulham looked exposed.
Fulham had already seen a finish ruled out for offside, which offered some encouragement, and the visitors’ pressure finally told on 85 minutes when Raul Jimenez converted a penalty after Harry Maguire’s desperate lunge, keeping Fulham alive and setting up a tense finale in Manchester.
Casemiro’s display again underlined influence in this Manchester United Premier League campaign. The midfielder has scored five league goals this season, with only his 2020-21 total of six for Real Madrid in Europe’s top five divisions beating that return across any single season.
Beyond the goal and assist, Casemiro also dominated duels. The Brazilian won seven of nine contests, second among Manchester United players only to Harry Maguire, who prevailed in 11 of 13, and United seemed less secure after Casemiro departed on 75 minutes with the score at 2-0.
| Player | Team | Key Premier League stats vs Fulham |
|---|---|---|
| Casemiro | Manchester United | 1 goal, 1 assist, 7/9 duels won |
| Harry Maguire | Manchester United | Conceded penalty, 11/13 duels won |
| Raul Jimenez | Fulham | Scored penalty, 12/12 Premier League penalties |
Manchester United Premier League rivals Fulham push hosts to the limit
Jimenez’s successful penalty gave Fulham real belief. The forward now holds the best perfect spot-kick record in Premier League history, scoring all 12 penalties taken in the competition and moving ahead of Yaya Toure, who had converted 11 out of 11 attempts.
Fulham then levelled in stoppage time when Kevin curled in from distance to claim a first Premier League goal, punishing Manchester United for not extending the lead earlier, before Sesko’s late intervention restored the advantage and broke Fulham resistance at the Stretford End.
Despite defeat, Fulham’s underlying numbers were strong. They matched Manchester United with six shots on target and edged the expected goals count 1.97 to 1.74, suggesting a tight Manchester United Premier League encounter in which the hosts were more ruthless in decisive moments.
Carrick’s wider league record with Manchester United also remains strong. Including the earlier interim spell, Manchester United have now taken four wins and one draw from five Premier League matches under Carrick, making Carrick the third manager to claim at least four victories in the first five league games, alongside Matt Busby and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
