Manchester United’s momentum under Michael Carrick continued on Monday with a hard-fought victory on Merseyside.
Here are the main Fantasy talking points from the game.
SESKO: WHAT’S HE GOT TO DO TO START?
The Slovenian David Fairclough struck again on Monday to rescue more points for United. Following on from two injury-time strikes in Gameweeks 24 and 26, Benjamin Sesko (£7.2m) grabbed the winner at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
And yet, the wait for a first start under Carrick drags on. What are the chances of a promotion to the line-up this weekend, then?
We got the usual post-game Geordie gibberish (takes one to know one) from the interim United manager, understandably not committing one way or another. He did preach patience again, however, and highlighted the “balance” of the current front four.
“Ben’s in a good place at the moment and we’ve had some really good talks about it and patience is one thing for him and building him and help grow and help him grow as a player and develop him as a player here. And he’s patient and he understands that, you know. He’s going to be a big player for us for a long period of time, I’m sure of that.
“So, we’ve got to manage that. We’ve got some really good forward players and he’s made a big difference for us when he’s been on the pitch, but that’s obviously decisions as we move forward. But the balance has been good with the forward players, so we need to continue that.” – Michael Carrick on Benjamin Sesko
It’d been Matheus Cunha (£8.1m) coming off for the striker in the previous three Gameweeks but on Monday, it was Amad Diallo‘s (£6.2m) turn. The winger didn’t even last till the hour mark after an unremarkable showing, not that he was alone in a bitty game.
Of course, an injury to one of the front four could pave the way for a Sesko start…
MBEUMO LIMPS OFF
Bryan Mbeumo (£8.6m) hobbled out of the game after 76 minutes on Monday, with Carrick taking the opportunity to fling on an extra defender as United sat on a 1-0 lead.
None of Carrick’s post-match interviews elicited any update on the Cameroonian winger.
It did, however, look very much like cramp, with Mbeumo’s teammates stretching his leg as he lay on the turf. He exited immediately aftewards.
Carrick will hopefully ratify that later in the week.
MARTINEZ + EVERTON INJURY UPDATES
United were missing one player through injury in the shape of Lisandro Martinez (£4.8m). Leny Yoro (£4.1m) took his place.
“Yeah, unfortunately, he just picked up something during the week. It doesn’t seem too bad at all, but we’re just kind of working through that at the moment, so he’s not available tonight.” – Michael Carrick on Lisandro Martinez
The Athletic report that he could be out for 1-2 weeks.
Everton, meanwhile, were missing Charly Alcaraz (£5.2m) and Mark Travers (£4.3m), not that either player would have started. Travers has a finger injury, while David Moyes expects Alcaraz to be out for “a few weeks”.
BRUNO’S DIMINISHING DEFCON RETURNS
Sesko’s winner was a rare moment of attacking quality in a game that started very brightly and petered out into a more attritional contest. No surprises, really, with Moyes’s Everton involved.
Cunha released Mbeumo with a superb long ball, with the latter squaring it for the onrushing Sesko to finish.
Other than that match-winner, a fourth-minute scramble in which Diogo Dalot (£4.5m), Cunha and Amad all had pops at goal, and a back-post chance that Mbeumo walloped into Row Z, none of United’s attackers really saw much joy against the Toffees.
That included Bruno Fernandes (£9.8m). He whistled his only shot – it came from outside the box – over the bar and, for the first time this season, failed to create a single chance.
Bruno owners have been able to call upon defensive contributions (DefCon) as an occasional consolation but with his new, more advanced role under Carrick, they may be fewer and farther between.
Looking at 90-minute run-outs for the Portuguese playmaker, his three lowest DefCon totals for the season have come… in the last three Gameweeks:
MATCHES IN WHICH BRUNO FERNANDES HAS DELIVERED THE FEWEST DEFCON RETURNS
Obviously, opposition has to be taken into account; you don’t need to get through as much off-the-ball work against Everton as, say, Man City. However, he previously banked DefCon points against the likes of Burnley, Brighton, West Ham and Fulham in the pre-Carrick era, so this may be one route to points that is largely now cut off.
PLAUDITS FOR LAMMENS AS ANOTHER CLEAN SHEET ARRIVES
An unexpected by-product of Carrick’s arrival has been a tightening up at the back.
Three clean sheets in the last six matches is a tally that no other Premier League team can top.
United have also conceded fewer big chances (six) than any other club, with only Arsenal bettering them for expected goals conceded (xGC):
It helps having a competent goalkeeper between the sticks, of course, with Senne Lammens (£5.0m) sturdy again. While Everton didn’t overwork him with big chances – a shot from distance from Michael Keane (£4.6m) tested him the most – he was excellent at dealing with the Toffees’ bombardment of corners. His handling was superb, too, the ball sticking his gloves from shots and crosses.
Moyes called Lammens “bloody brilliant” after full-time.
Harry Maguire (£4.3m) meanwhile banked DefCon points for the third time in six matches under Carrick.
BRANTHWAITE AT LEFT-BACK, GARNER AT RIGHT-BACK
It was a sixth home league match without a win for Everton. Lucky they’re away this weekend, then; they’re unbeaten on the road in two months.
The Toffees didn’t do a whole lot wrong on Monday. This was just an ‘Everton’ performance: pretty solid at the back, not offering a great deal in open play and trying to make the most of set pieces.
Moyes made three changes, one enforced due to Jake O’Brien‘s (£4.9m) suspension. James Garner (£5.2m) filled in at right-back.
Of more interest was the alteration on the opposite flank, with Keane recalled, Jarrad Branthwaite (£5.3m) moving to left-back and Vitaliy Mykolenko (£4.9m) dropping to the bench.
“I just thought they were the right way to go tonight.” – David Moyes on his team selection
There was no DefCon joy for James Tarkowski (£5.7m) for the fourth match running. He’s only finished one contribution away in each of the last two matches, however.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£5.1m), whose teasing corners were dealt with well by Lammers, did bank DefCon points, however.
