MANCHESTER, England — Of everything Reuben Amorim said during his tenure Manchester Unitedhead coach, the thing that troubled his bosses the most was something benjamin sesco.
Asked about the 22-year-old striker, signed for £73.7 million in November RB leipzig In the summer, Amorim said it was “a fact” that he had “fought” for the agreement. Premier League. The idea above was that the comments were not helpful to a young player trying to adapt to a difficult league in a new country.
Cesko scored two goals in 17 matches for Amorim. But since Amorim’s departure at the beginning of January, Cescão has scored seven of his eight goals.
Starting under Michael Carrick for the first time on Sunday, Cesco scored for the third consecutive game as United came back from a goal down. crystal Palace 2-1 and fall back to third place in the table armory And Manchester City.
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“I’m happy for Ben,” Carrick said. “We’ve been working closely with him and connecting with him and building that relationship and trust. There’s a lot riding on Ben. He’s put in the work. He’s a good player and he’s got some great strengths and he’s scoring a variety of goals.
“He’s a real threat. I’m really excited about where he can end up. He has huge potential.”
Cesko isn’t just scoring goals – he’s scoring important goals. In his last three matches, he has a stoppage-time equalizer west ham unitedwinner against everton And another winner against Palace.
Since Amorim was sacked, Cesco’s Premier League goals have been against burnley, fulhamWest Ham, Everton and Palace have given the team eight points. Without him, United would have finished outside the top six. Instead, Carrick’s side sit third with 10 games remaining and are on track to qualify for the uefa champions league For the first time after 2023.
“He’s had a huge impact and is making big improvements,” Carrick said. “Part of it is getting used to being here. He’s desperate to do well, he works very hard and it’s a pleasure to work with him. It’s a fantastic goal.”
Sesko’s revival began under Amorim’s initial replacement Darren Fletcher. After slovenia After the international scored twice in United’s 2–2 draw with Burnley, Fletcher revealed that he had shown Sesko a video the day before the game, “showing his movements and his goals.”
The form that began at Turf Moor has continued under Carrick. Fletcher said he told Sesco he “needs to keep the faith” and there was a similar boost of confidence given by Carrick.
Immediately after scoring at Everton, Cesco stopped in the mixed zone and told reporters that one of the big changes is that “everyone believes in me.” At the end of Amorim’s reign it became an open secret that he wanted to sign Aston Villa striker ollie watkins instead. If Carrick has injected some self-belief into Cesaro, the former England The midfielder also deserves credit for playing to his strengths.
One of the criticisms of Amorim’s football was that he played with a central striker, but did not ask his wide players to put crosses into the box. Cesko started Amorim’s last game in a 1-1 draw leeds united On January 4 — and not a single bullet hit the target. Under Carrick, all his goals against Fulham, West Ham and Palace came from crosses from wide areas.
With long limbs and a gangly style, Cesco can still sometimes look awkward when asked to take part in the buildup. But at 6-foot-5, he is superb in the air and quick in and around the penalty area. His goal against Palace was a bullet header.
First, bruno fernandes For which after one incident a fine was imposed and equalized Maxence Lacroix – Palace’s goalscorer in the first half – was sent off for retreating mattheus cunha. Fernandes then rose up the right and delivered a cross which Cesco headed past jaydy canavot And his finish beat the former United goalkeeper dean henderson. After 10 minutes he stood up and left to thunderous applause.
“We were a bit behind at the start and they started really well,” said Carrick, who has made it six wins from seven games so far. “About 20 minutes in it started to turn in our favor and we finished the half strong and then spoke to them about being in that position and showing personality and belief.
“To come back like that in the second half and turn the game in our favor is the biggest thing. To put together the run we had and do it in different ways is exciting for me.”
United is flying, and Cesco is flying too. No other Premier League team has gone unbeaten since Boxing Day, and no player in the league has scored more non-penalty goals than Cesco in 2026.
Amorim’s reign looks worse with every win under Carrick, while every goal from Cescó makes those “confrontational” comments all the more inaccurate. United are heading towards a return to the Champions League and Cescão is proving the doubters wrong.
