Man Utd take major step towards Champions League as Michael Carrick blueprint becomes clear | OneFootball

It all started with a set-piece, as so many Premier League games seem to these days, but by the end Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa had become an advert for the benefits of good old fashioned wingers and number nines.

Much has been made of the role of set-pieces in the league as several sides have struggled to reliably create goals from open play, but in the end United took a giant leap towards next season’s Champions League in a more familiar manner, with Matheus Cunha the star as he and Benjamin Sesko sealed the result.

In the end, a 3-1 win for Michael Carrick’s side takes them three points clear of the Villans in the battle for the top five, but while it’s a win that puts United in an enviable position, it was a scoreline that flattered the hosts.

It was a performance that was not as convincing as the result suggests. In the end it followed a similar blueprint for Carrick’s United, but this time around the tried-and-tested method raised a different conclusion.

open image in gallery

Sesko's goal was his fourth in his last five games (Manchester United/Getty)

Recent United games have been defined by Benjamin Sesko cameos, with the Slovenian striker coming off the bench to score against Fulham, West Ham and Everton. That was the case again this afternoon, and while the 22-year-old didn’t net a winner this time, it was a cameo that might have convinced Carrick to take a different route forward for the rest of the season.

The interim United boss once again chose Bryan Mbeumo to start as a lone striker at Old Trafford – as he had for six of his previous eight matches in charge – while Sesko settled for a place on the bench, the plan seemingly to bring him on around the 70th minute as has worked to great effect previously.

However, once again United laboured in the absence of a recognised striker in the starting line-up, the hosts struggling to create clear-cut chances despite a few threatening crosses.

Diogo Dalot wasted a golden chance from close range, while Mbeumo toiled in attack. The Cameroon international did not possess enough of a presence in the box, at one point failing to get across the defender and finish a superb Dalot cross.

open image in gallery

The Slovenian has also scored pivotal goals against Fulham, West Ham, Everton and Palace (Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

When the opener did come, it was via a familiar route: Casemiro glancing in a header from a corner. Old Trafford was buoyed but Villa soon hit back, Ross Barkley finishing well and taking United back to square one.

And while Mbeumo continued to struggle in a lone striker role – often too isolated against Mings and Konsa – United finally got joy from the left wing with Cunha making a perfect run before curling a brilliant finish into the far corner for 2-1.

It was a goal that underlined Cunha’s status as the club’s most exciting and effective winger, the Brazilian providing a threat with a clever run inside the full-back and once again proving a difference-maker, as he did against Palace.

Carrick reacted to retaking the lead by making his favourite substitution. Sesko replaced Mbeumo in the 75th minute and the Stretford End sang the Cameroonian’s name as he made his way to the bench. But while he came off to a standing ovation, it didn’t take long for his replacement to illustrate exactly why he should be the one starting every game.

open image in gallery

The result leaves United in third, three points ahead of Villa and six ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea (AP)

Within six minutes of his introduction Sesko was once again on the scoresheet, the youngster firing in to effectively kill the game in the 81st minute. Cunha provided the width before taking the ball down brilliantly to get into the box. While his cross wasn’t a great one, Sesko then pounced on the loose ball, turning it in via a fortunate deflection. It was precisely the natural striker instinct that Mbeumo had failed to show throughout his cameo.

While it was a fortunate third for the hosts it was one that featured the exact type of wing play and striking nous that had been lacking earlier on. It sealed the three points but while everything seems rosy at United, obvious improvements can be made.

Mbeumo’s striker experiment has not failed as such – in fact, it worked to great effect in the wins over Manchester City and Arsenal – but it is something that should be reserved for very specific circumstances.

Carrick has Sesko to thank for grabbing at least 10 points with pivotal strikes, and another important goal for the 22-year-old proves that he is ready for a starting berth. Surely Carrick can now see that making him a regular starter is the blueprint for the next step in his interim revolution.