Manchester United Edge Five-Goal Thriller Again as Benjamin Sesko’s Late Strike Breaks Fulham Hearts

Manchester United were forced to dig deep once more at Old Trafford, eventually overcoming Fulham 3-2 thanks to a dramatic stoppage-time goal from Benjamin Sesko that sealed a third straight Premier League win under interim boss Michael Carrick.

Sesko struck in the 94th minute to end a thrilling contest, restoring United to the top four after Fulham had staged an impressive late comeback that threatened to snatch a point.

United, buoyed by recent positive results, began the match on the front foot. Amad Diallo showed early intent with a probing run, while Harry Maguire’s effort from a set piece asked questions of the Fulham back line. The visitors were not without their own chances, though, and Jorge Cuenca was forced into a vital defensive action to stop Bryan Mbeumo from opening the scoring.

Fulham soon grew into the game. Joachim Andersen tested goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a powerful header, and Lisandro Martínez had to be alert to block Samuel Chukwueze’s goal-bound strike as the tempo increased at both ends.

The deadlock was broken in the 20th minute following a lengthy VAR review. A penalty initially given against Cuenca for a challenge on Matheus Cunha was overturned, and United were instead awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area. Bruno Fernandes delivered an inch-perfect ball into the box, where Casemiro timed his jump superbly to head home and put the hosts in front.

Fulham Fight Back but Fall Short

United largely controlled proceedings for the remainder of the first half. Chukwueze remained Fulham’s most dangerous outlet but struggled to beat Lammens, who was also equal to a fierce long-range attempt from Alex Iwobi to preserve the lead at the interval.

The home side picked up where they left off after the break and doubled their advantage in the 56th minute. Casemiro again played a key role, threading a precise through ball to Cunha, who finished confidently past Bernd Leno. Fulham thought they had responded moments later when Cuenca bundled the ball in from close range, but the effort was ruled out for a narrow offside involving Chukwueze in the build-up.

Late drama followed. Substitute Sesko rattled the post for United before Fulham were handed a lifeline when Maguire brought down Raúl Jiménez in the box. Jiménez calmly converted the resulting penalty to reduce the deficit. In the 92nd minute, Fulham completed their comeback as Kevin exchanged passes with Ryan Sessegnon before curling a stunning equaliser into the top corner.

Just as it seemed the points would be shared, United struck the decisive blow. Deep into stoppage time, Fernandes slipped a pass to Sesko, who unleashed a magnificent strike into the top corner to spark wild celebrations and secure another unforgettable victory at Old Trafford.