Man Utd Defeat Fulham in the Last Minute, Carrick Only Needs Three Weeks to Score a Hattrick 

Striker Benjamin Sesko scored the winning goal for Manchester United against Fulham in the last minute. (X/@ManUtd)

JAKARTA - Interim manager Michael Carrick only needed three weeks to lead Manchester United to a hat-trick of victories. And, the success of defeating Fulham 3-2 in the English Premier League match at Old Trafford Stadium, Sunday, February 1, 2026 WIB was determined by Benjamin Sesko's last-minute goal.

Either Carrick who is indeed more skilled than the manager he replaced, Ruben Amorim, or he is the one who understands the DNA of Man Utd, the legacy of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Yes, Amorim needed one year to bring Man Utd to victory. However, he failed to make the Red Devils win in the next match. In fact, Amorim finally accepted the bitter reality, he was fired.

When Carrick was called back to handle Man Utd replacing Amorim, the former Ferguson-era midfielder managed to juggle a team that was already broken. The match against Fulham was Carrick's real test after defeating two elite teams, Manchester City 2-0 and Arsenal 3-2.

Even the shadow of failure appeared when Man Utd, who were already 2-0 ahead, conceded twice through Raul Jimenez and Kevin's goals. Not only that, Man Utd should have lost if Jorge Cuenca's goal was not disallowed for offside.

However, the 'Carrick Time' which repeated the dramatic moment of 'Fergie Time' like in the 1999 Champions League final deserves to be pinned to the interim manager. Kevin's goal at Senne Lammens in the 90+1 minute. The match was expected to end in a draw. Only, striker Benjamin Sesko, who came on as a substitute, refused to give up until the final whistle was blown.

As a result, Sesko, who received a cross from captain Bruno Fernandes, broke the goal of The Cottagers in the 90+4 minute. The goal that made Old Trafford roar because it was the determinant of Man Utd's victory in the last minute and was created in front of hardliners in the Stretford End stand. The stand, which is inhabited by the most fierce, hard and loyal supporters of the beloved team.

Carrick also maintained an unbeaten record for seven matches in charge of Man Utd. More than that, he didn't have to linger and only needed three weeks to lead his team to a hat-trick of victories. Carrick was also delighted with Sesko's goal in the last minute. A moment he often experienced when he was still under Ferguson.

"This is the best feeling I can say," Carrick said. "I've been part of those moments like that. You can have a dip and suddenly get a boost and then have a moment like this."

"For me there is no better place to celebrate it in front of the Stretford End [fans]. It means everything," he said again.

"People can leave this place saying, 'United won today'. It's the culmination of emotions and feelings and we really love it," Carrick said.

Carrick deserves to be satisfied with the victory. Moreover, his team started the match very well. Only the fans were able to demonstrate with clown masks. Fans criticized the club owner, the Glazers family and Jim Ratcliffe who managed Man Utd like a circus. Therefore, they demonstrated with clown masks that satirized the club owner.

On the pitch, Man Utd showed their best performance and actually had the chance to get a penalty when Matheus Cunha was brought down by Cuenca in the 19th minute. Only after reviewing it via VAR, the referee canceled the penalty decision and gave a free kick. The reason was that the foul occurred outside the penalty box.

But the joy of the Fulham players over the decision only lasted a moment. Fernandes who took a free kick cleverly and calmly sent the ball in front of the goal which was greeted with a header from Casemiro who defeated goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Casemiro's goal, who expressed his desire to leave after his contract expired in June this year, gave Man Utd a 1-0 lead. The score also held up until the end of the first half.

In the second half, Man Utd continued to play aggressively. As a result, the hosts increased the lead in the 56th minute. Again, Casemiro was involved in the goal, his breakthrough pass was well finished by Cunha which gave Man Utd a 2-0 lead.

Only Fulham refused to give up. Marco Silva's team made an attack that forced Man Utd to strengthen the defense. Fulham should have been able to narrow the gap when Cuenca defeated Lammens in the 65th minute. However, after being reviewed by VAR, the goal was canceled because Samuel Chukwueze, who passed the ball from Jimenez to Cuenca, was declared offside.

Disappointed with the referee's decision, but Fulham still tried to put pressure. The London club's efforts also bore fruit when they were awarded a penalty in the 85th minute. The foul committed by defender Harry Maguire against Jimenez made the referee point to the white spot. Jimenez himself took the penalty and Lammens could actually read the direction of the ball. However, he still failed to reach the ball that slid into the corner of the goal.

The score changed 2-1 and Man Utd was predicted to win. However, when the match entered injury time, Man Utd players were surprised by Kevin's brilliant action. From the right side of Man Utd's defense, he fired a hard shot that defeated Lammens. The goal that made the supporters silent because the score became 2-2 and the shadow of failure to get three points was already in front of their eyes.

Only, Man Utd showed a spirit of not giving up until the final whistle. And, Sesko proved it. The striker who still rarely scores goals actually became a savior through his goal before the break. The score changed to 3-2 and Man Utd closed the match with a victory.

The victory brought Man Utd back to the Champions League zone. They climbed to fourth place by overtaking Chelsea and Liverpool after collecting 41 points. Meanwhile, Fulham who occupy the eighth position has 34 points.