After nearly two weeks, Manchester United returned to Premier League action with a bang, securing a 1–0 win over Everton on Monday evening.
Michael Carrick’s men were hardly at their best at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but one moment of magic from Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo set up Benjamin Šeško to secure all three points with one strike of his right foot. The match-winner came just 13 minutes after the striker entered the game.
The victory gets Man Utd back to winning ways after their slip up against West Ham, putting the team just three points off third-place Aston Villa. The result also extends the Red Devils’ unbeaten run under their new boss to six Premier League matches.
The three points will taste even sweeter given the club’s poor 1–0 defeat to an undermanned Everton in the reverse fixture.
One Thing We Can’t Ignore
For the second consecutive match, Man Utd’s attack was crying out for a difference-maker. Everton’s defence held Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo virtually silent for over an hour, Amad Diallo lacked quality in the final third and Bruno Fernandes was stuck dropping deep to even get on the ball.
Once again, Carrick called upon Benjamin Šeško’s services off the bench to give his team a much-needed spark. The summer signing replaced Amad in the 58th minute and by the 71st minute, he found the match-winner for his side.
Cunha’s ball from deep inside his own half to unleash a streaking Mbeumo deserves the bulk of the credit, but Šeško still had to run the length of the pitch and finish off the well-orchestrated counter attack—and he did so with poise.
The 22-year-old has now played hero for Man Utd in three of their last four games, securing seven of the Red Devils’ last 10 points with goals off the bench. Carrick soon might be forced to take another look at his attack and determine whether Šeško deserves a place back in the XI.
Man Utd Player Ratings vs. Everton (4-2-3-1)
GK: Senne Lammens—8.4: Had hardly anything to do until Everton applied the pressure in the dying stages. Stood tall and held firm, making key saves in stoppage time.
RB: Diogo Dalot—7.9: Tried to be a bit too clever at times, but an overall solid outing. Would have liked to do more in space down the right flank.
CB: Leny Yoro—7.2: Settled in nicely after a nervy start. Still, fans will be eagerly awaiting Lisandro Martínez’s return.
CB: Harry Maguire—7.7: A rather uneventful outing for the centre back, but he won’t mind. Took his turn making runs forward to try and give his attack some life.
LB: Luke Shaw—6.9: Handled a tough matchup against Iliman Ndiaye well enough. Struggled to link up with Cunha down the left flank.
DM: Casemiro—7.8: Uncharacteristically poor on the ball. Giveaways, errant passes and head-scratching miscues dominated his game, even if the statistics don’t show it.
DM: Kobbie Mainoo—6.9: Showed flashes in the attack, but perhaps was not the right player to find himself on the ball in key sequences in the final third. Tidy in posession.
RW: Amad Diallo—6.9: Did a superb job tracking back when called upon, but lacked quality going forward. Failed to reap the rewards of his blistering pace against Jarrad Branthwaite.
AM: Bruno Fernandes—6.7: Not one of his more memorable performances. Forced to drop deep just to get involved for most of the match and did not create a single chance.
LW: Matheus Cunha—6.9: Spent much of his time working on his cardio. In his defence, he lacked quality service from his teammates. Eventually took the matter into his own hands and orchestrated the game’s only goal with a sensational ball from deep inside his own half.
ST: Bryan Mbeumo—7.4: Virtually anonymous in the first half, but came to life in the moment that mattered. Used his pace to get on the end of Cunha’s long ball and issued the perfect pass for Šeško to finish.
SUB: Benjamin Šeško (58’ for Amad)—7.3: Another statement performance off the bench. Scored the game’s only goal and probably should have had a second in stoppage time.
SUB: Noussair Mazraoui (68’ for Mbeumo)—6.0: Came onto the pitch to shore-up the team’s defence and did just that.
SUB: Ayden Heaven (95’ for Cunha)—N/A
Subs not used: Altay Bayındır (GK), Tyrell Malacia, Jack Moorhouse, Manuel Ugarte, Tyler Fletcher, Joshua Zirkzee.
What the Ratings Tell Us
- An off night from Bruno Fernandes had Man Utd looking virtually incapable of creating a moment worthy of beating Everton’s disciplined defence. The visitors were only ever going to find an opening by catching the Toffees out in transition.
- Luke Shaw poses such little threat going forward that Everton easily put their full attention on containing Cunha, forcing the Red Devils to funnel much of their attack down the right flank with little success.
- Leny Yoro stepped up at the last minute when his team needed him to unexpectedly replace the injured Lisandro Martínez. A solid performance capped off with a clean sheet should give the young defender some much-needed confidence moving forward.
The Numbers That Explain Man Utd’s Victory
- Man Utd lacked accuracy on the night, putting just three of their 11 shots on target. Against a better opponent, the team would likely rue their misplaced chances.
- The Red Devils were rather wasteful in possession, completing only 80% of their passes. Everton did well to make the players in red uncomfortable on the ball.
- Even without Lisandro Martínez, Man Utd held Everton to just a 0.62 xG. The Toffees also did not create a single big chance.
| Statistic | Everton | Man Utd |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 48% | 52% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 0.62 | 1.27 |
| Total Shots | 12 | 11 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 3 |
| Big Chances | 0 | 2 |
| Passing Accuracy | 77% | 80% |
| Fouls Committed | 12 | 7 |
| Corners | 10 | 1 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd Player Ratings vs. Everton: Sesko’s Heroics Secure Red Devils’ Redemption.
