Manchester United dramatically clinched a 3-2 stoppage-time victory! Carrick passed the test with a third consecutive win, securing a top-four spot with one more achievement ahead.

Manchester United beat Fulham 3-2 at Old Trafford, with Casemiro and Cunha scoring in the first and second halves respectively to lead 2-0. But the final five minutes brought drama as Fulham scored twice to level. Luckily, Sesko’s substitute goal sealed the win. Carrick demonstrated “Fergie time” in front of Sir Alex, securing a third consecutive victory, holding onto a top-four spot, and drawing closer to Aston Villa and Manchester City who suffered defeats.

Before the match, around five to six hundred fans protested outside the stadium against owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family, criticizing their poor management of the club. However, this turnout was far below the thousands originally expected.

Carrick’s starting lineup was largely unchanged, maintaining the usual structure, with Cunha replacing the injured Patrick Doğu. On the bench, Zirkzee returned, but Mason Mount was absent. Carrick revealed that he suffered an injury during the final moments of pre-match training.

“Mason (Mount) picked up a minor injury during training but it’s nothing serious, he’ll be back soon,” Carrick said. “Matheus (Cunha) starting was a natural choice, especially given his performances in the last two games and his strengths. His dribbling is excellent and he stands out on the pitch.”

Both teams started aggressively. Manchester United’s Amad Diallo’s curling shot was saved by Fulham’s goalkeeper Leno; Mbemou had a one-on-one chance but mishandled the ball and was then fouled, though the referee ruled no penalty. Fulham also threatened through corners, but Red Devils’ keeper reacted quickly to block the attempts.

In the 17th minute, Cunha’s breakthrough on the right earned a penalty, but VAR assistant referee James Bell intervened. Slow-motion showed Jorge Cuenca pulling Cunha’s shirt but releasing it outside the box, and his tackle first touched the ball. Referee John Brooks overturned the decision to a free kick for Manchester United.

However, the outcome was the same for Manchester United. Captain Bruno Fernandes took the free kick, delivering to the far post where Casemiro outjumped defenders to head the ball into the corner, giving Manchester United a 1-0 lead. After announcing his departure at season’s end, “Big Cat” fully committed to the game with great fighting spirit, hoping to attract a better next club.

Manchester United ended the first half with a one-goal lead and continued to dominate after the break. Diogo Dalot assisted with a through ball to Mbemou, who faced the keeper one-on-one but his shot was saved, missing a chance to extend the lead.

The second goal came from a similar pattern, this time Casemiro provided the pass and Cunha’s clean, sharp shot flew into the near corner, putting Manchester United 2-0 ahead of Fulham. Cunha has now contributed to goals in three consecutive matches, scoring in the last two rounds.

Carrick’s tactic of not focusing on possession paid off; Manchester United’s final possession rate was only 42.4%. The stats show that this season, United have won all seven Premier League games where they held less than 45% possession, while their 17 matches with higher possession resulted in just 4 wins, 8 draws, and 5 losses.

Yet, despite the comfortable 2-0 lead, Carrick and his team fell into chaos. Their tactics and execution collapsed, especially defensively. In the 69th minute, Casemiro fouled, gifting the opponent a free kick just outside the box. The ball deflected off the wall causing confusion, and Cuenca eventually scored.

VAR intervened again, and after a lengthy three-and-a-half-minute review, the goal was disallowed due to Fulham’s Samuel Chukwueze being marginally offside. Manchester United escaped a scare, and Carrick quickly made substitutions, bringing on Sesko and Ugarte for Cunha and Casemiro to stabilize the formation and protect the lead.

After coming on, Sesko nearly added to the scoreline; Amad’s left-footed cross from the right found Sesko’s header hit the left post, and his follow-up shot went over the bar.

Just when fans thought the match would end safely, Manchester United never make it easy! In the 83rd minute, Maguire’s reckless tackle on Raul Jimenez gave Fulham a penalty. Jimenez calmly converted into the top corner, with Leno unable to reach, narrowing Fulham’s deficit to 1-2.

After conceding, Leno shared a smile with Jimenez, but it quickly faded because in the first minute of stoppage time, Fulham’s Kevin cut inside from the left and struck a stunning goal, breaking past Manchester United’s goalkeeper once more to level the score at 2-2!

Fortunately, Carrick still possesses the Midas touch. Manchester United’s substitute player decided the match for the second consecutive game. After Cunha became a starter, the €85 million striker Sesko emerged as the new super-sub.

In a counterattack, Bruno Fernandes crossed from the right while falling, the ball bypassed Fulham’s defense, and Sesko controlled then curled a shot into the far corner. The Theatre of Dreams erupted, and Sir Alex covered his mouth with a smile in the stands. Manchester United took the lead again at 3-2. Sesko continued the scoring trend after Ruben Amorim’s departure, netting 3 goals in 2 games under Darren Fletcher, totaling 4 goals in 5 appearances.

The thrilling match full of dramatic twists truly became exciting from the 85th minute onward. Manchester United displayed the much-discussed Red Devils DNA, especially in attack, scoring, and winning in the dying moments. From this perspective, Carrick has passed a triple test, creating chances and maintaining fighting spirit against both strong and lower-ranked teams.

Amorim took nearly a year at Manchester United to achieve three consecutive Premier League wins in 37 matches, while Carrick managed this in just three games. Carrick is the third manager since Matt Busby in 1946 and Solskjaer in 2019 to win four or more of his first five league matches in charge of Manchester United.

Manchester United’s defensive issues persist, but these are unlikely to be fixed by Carrick in the short term. The midfield lacks defensive strength, and every defender has weaknesses. Since the season began, it’s been clear that the Red Devils must rely on scoring more goals than their opponents to win.

If Carrick and his staff can make Manchester United’s defense solid, they would be world-class coaches, but that seems difficult. As long as Carrick keeps the current momentum, securing a top-four or top-five finish to return to the Champions League won’t be hard. The Red Devils can even improve further, currently only 5 and 6 points behind Villa and Manchester City respectively.

One more thing Carrick must ensure is that the attitude after the managerial change is not just a flash in the pan. In the remaining 14 matches, the team will inevitably face setbacks without victories, and they must respond promptly to maintain the spirit shown when Carrick first arrived.

Carrick said after the match: “Many unexpected things happened today. I am very aware of Fulham’s strength. Before the game, someone asked me how to deal with their defensive tactics; I knew it wouldn’t be that way. Fulham is a quality team, and we faced many challenges. The team performed well overall, and the players showed great effort, especially their strong desire to win.”

The Manchester United manager praised Sesko for staying calm and scoring the winning goal despite missing earlier chances after coming off the bench. “Life as a striker is like that. Sometimes you miss chances but you must keep seizing opportunities. We’ve worked hard in recent weeks and guided Benjamin (Sesko) well. He has the quality to remain composed after misses and score. His goal was fantastic, and its importance goes without saying. He will remember this moment for a long time.”

Tens of thousands at Old Trafford chanted Carrick’s name: “It’s hard to believe he’s not Scholes.” That was a tribute to Carrick’s playing days. As a coach, Carrick might consider swapping Scholes’ name for Fergie or Ancelotti.