16 touches, 6 aerial duels won: Carrick’s tactical tweak pays off with 10/10 display from one Red

Benjamin Sesko enjoyed 75 minutes of action from the off against Crystal Palace before being replaced by Amad Diallo.The centre-forward had earned his start after scoring six goals in his last seven appearances across all competitions. Now, he’s extended the tremendous feat by finding the back of the net to complete Manchester United’s turnaround this afternoon.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYHow United fought back vs Palace(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Palace retained their lead, which they claimed via a fourth-minute opener, until the second half, but it was their goalscorer who proceeded to turn the game on its head.Maxence Lacroix brought down Matheus Cunha in the area to gift the Reds a penalty before the hour mark and, following a lengthy VAR check, the Palace defender was sent his marching orders for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity.Bruno Fernandes converted the spot-kick swiftly past Carrington graduate Dean Henderson, paving the way for United to push on for the win against the 10-man Eagles.And that they did. Just eight minutes after Fernandes’ leveller, he capitalised on United’s sustained pressure and played an inch-perfect cross into the area, which was headed home by Sesko.Sesko puts in another scintillating shift(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)The Slovenian has been showcasing his clinical finishing abilities in recent weeks, and he’ll be delighted to have repaid Michael Carrick’s faith in his maiden start under the manager.Aside from his potential match-winner, he also recorded 16 touches, eight passes, six aerial duels and four shots. Benjamin Šeško’s game by numbers vs. Crystal Palace: 16 total touches 10 passes attempted 8 passes completed 7 aerial duels contested 6 aerial duels won 6 touches in the box 4 shots 3 shots on target1 goal Quickly becoming a very reliable goalscorer at this level. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/41P9qZ1qzN — Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) March 1, 2026Seeing out the victory would see United move to third place at full-time, thanks to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ shock 2-0 triumph over Aston Villa on Friday night.Chelsea are also in action against Arsenal in the 4.30pm kick-off, meaning United could also extend their advantage over the sixth-placed Blues.