(Photo via The Rest Is Football on YouTube)
Gary Lineker was impressed with two aspects of Benjamin Sesko’s game after he made his maiden Premier League start against Manchester City.
Once again, the Old Trafford faithful find themselves in a position where it’s incredibly difficult to find any positives from the current situation.
A 3-0 defeat at the hands of their arch-rivals and the second Premier League defeat in just four matches played marks Manchester United’s worst start to a campaign in 33 years. They sit 14th-placed in the table on just four points and welcome Chelsea, who are yet to lose this term, to M16 on Saturday evening.
Benjamin Sesko gets the nod for the first time vs City
The absences of Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount last week opened the door for Sesko to feature from the off at the Etihad. Prior to the game, he had played a total of only 80 minutes across the opening three fixtures.
Yet, the Slovenian international was left to work with scraps leading United’s line. Despite being on the field until the 80th minute, he recorded 19 touches, one shot on target and completed seven of his 13 attempted passes (as per Sofascore).
You’d struggle to see how any centre-forward would be able to make an impact in a system that simply does not cater to a natural No.9’s strengths – not least a 22-year-old who’s still getting to grips with the demands of the English top flight.
Lineker highlights positives he saw from Sesko
That being said, Lineker did see signs of promise throughout Sesko’s showing. He told The Rest Is Football panel this morning (h/t UtdDistrict): “He was absolutely starved of any real service. He went through once where he broke the offside trap and the ‘keeper blocked his shot.
“But he does look quick for a big guy and I watched him specifically for a lot of the game and his movement; he’s making darting runs. But the ball [wasn’t coming]. I felt for a little bit. It’s tough when you’re not getting any service.”
