Benjamin Sesko has forced his case for a first Manchester United start after becoming the club’s most effective impact substitute. The 22-year-old, a £74m signing who struggled for goals early on, has scored three decisive strikes in his last four appearances and is now pushing Michael Carrick to hand him the centre-forward role at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Sesko managed only two goals in his first 16 Premier League games, prompting Carrick to introduce him gradually while a rotating front three produced strong results against Manchester City and Arsenal. That cautious approach, however, looks increasingly difficult to justify. Sesko’s late goals rescued United in nervy wins at West Ham and Everton, and his stoppage-time winner against Fulham helped deliver seven points that keep United firmly in the race for Champions League qualification. Without those contributions United would be sixth and trailing Liverpool by four points.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has publicly urged Carrick to start Sesko, saying the striker looks physically stronger, more confident and has effectively signalled he belongs in the XI — particularly following his celebration at Everton. Sesko has played down any personal agenda, stressing his priority is the team, but his reaction on Merseyside suggested he relishes a regular role.
Selecting Sesko would mean dropping one of the quartet who have started the last four matches: Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha or Amad Diallo. Amad was replaced by Sesko at Everton, and Neville expects a similar switch: Cunha on the bench, Mbeumo on the right, Sesko through the middle with Bruno Fernandes behind. Neville cautioned Amad would “just slip out for a game,” while insisting Sesko must be rewarded for his match-winning contributions.
Form and expectations
Sesko’s 2026 form has been eye-catching — he’s averaging a goal roughly every 55 minutes in that period and has matched Viktor Gyokeres’ output in far fewer minutes. Much of his impact has come from the bench: three of his five United goals have been scored as a substitute, the other two coming against promoted Burnley. The bigger test will be whether he can sustain that goalscoring influence as a regular starter over a prolonged run.
Neville warned of the extra pressure that accompanies an expensive striker at Manchester United but believes Sesko is showing he can be more than a ‘‘super-sub.’’ If he can trouble defenders, score regularly, hold up play and link with teammates, he could become a valuable number nine. Reaching double figures this season would be a strong return given United’s difficult start.
Sesko accepts the scrutiny, saying: “The pressure is something that, if I want to be a good player, it’s something that I have to have. To play at the highest level you must accept the pressure and not be bothered by it.”
Carrick must now decide whether to stick with the front three that began the season or reward Sesko’s recent, game-changing contributions by handing him the central role against Crystal Palace.
Watch Manchester United vs Crystal Palace on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, kick-off 2pm.