For the second time in four days, Benjamin Sesko was the last in line. The final outfield Manchester United player to take a penalty in the shootout at Grimsby, the 20th out of 20, was the last attacking change made by Ruben Amorim against Burnley. Even when first Matheus Cunha and then Mason Mount went off injured, Sesko lingered unused, overlooked as Amorim sent for Joshua Zirkzee and then Kobbie Mainoo, a misfit and a midfielder respectively.
He was the £66m spectator; until Burnley equalised for a second time, anyway, and Sesko made his third Premier League appearance: all as a substitute, none yielding a first United goal. If Bruno Fernandes’ 97th-minute winner probably came as a relief to Amorim, it should have done to his biggest buy as well. Sesko had headed a Bryan Mbeumo cross over the bar and a Diogo Dalot centre wide. They might have been misses that cost two points. Instead, he merely ratcheted up the drama. But while Sesko had a 100 percent record from 12 yards before joining United, scoring 11 from 11 for clubs and country, it was unsurprising he wasn’t on spot-kick duties.
