Benjamin Sesko’s status as Michael Carrick’s secret weapon was underlined once more on the evening of Monday, February 23, 2026, as Everton F.C. Vs Manchester United F.C. Standings documented a composed 1-0 victory at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium that extended the interim manager’s unbeaten start to six matches and solidified Manchester United’s grip on a coveted Champions League qualification spot.
Kicking off at 8:00pm GMT in front of 52,326 supporters on Merseyside, the Slovenian striker — still awaiting his first Premier League start under Carrick — entered the field just before the hour mark and converted the game’s only chance of genuine quality in the 71st minute to secure another crucial three points on a night when United’s performance was functional rather than spectacular.
The Everton F.C. Vs Manchester United F.C. Standings significance was immediately clear: United arrived in Liverpool knowing a victory would move them to within three points of Aston Villa in third, while Everton desperately needed a result to keep alive their own aspirations for European competition in a campaign that had produced inconsistency in abundance under David Moyes.
The lineups confirmed the availability issues that continued to test Carrick’s squad depth, with Lisandro Martínez, Matthijs de Ligt, Mason Mount and Patrick Dorgu all remaining sidelined — with Leny Yoro partnering Maguire in central defence and Luke Shaw continuing at left-back in what was becoming a well-drilled defensive pairing under the new management.
Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo provided the midfield anchor once more, with Bruno Fernandes operating as the creative fulcrum in the number ten position behind Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha in a 4-2-3-1 that retained the structural clarity Carrick had implemented from day one.
Everton, managed by David Moyes and deploying a 4-2-3-1 of their own with Jordan Pickford in goal and a midfield axis of Tim Iroegbunam and Idrissa Gana Gueye, were without suspended Jake O’Brien and injured Jack Grealish, limiting their attacking options to Iliman Ndiaye, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Harrison Armstrong in the three behind Thierno Barry.
The first half was a tightly contested, low-tempo affair that produced little of note — Everton’s best moment arriving when Armstrong’s weak shot failed to seriously test Lammens after the hosts had constructed their most promising attack through Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall’s neat interchange.
United looked uncomfortable for much of the opening 45 minutes in a match where their possession was meaningful but their penetration was limited, with Tarkowski’s goal-line clearance from Amad’s effort in the fourth minute perhaps United’s most dangerous moment before the interval.
The game was settled by a moment of clinical counter-attacking football in the 71st minute — Cunha’s searching pass from deep in his own half released Mbeumo one-on-one with Michael Keane, the forward racing clear before squaring for the arriving Sesko to convert with emphatic authority past Pickford’s right hand.
It was the Slovenian’s sixth involvement in a match-changing moment in Carrick’s six games, and it proved sufficient to secure a victory that left Everton without a win in seven home games at their new ground.
Everton F.C. Vs Manchester United F.C. — Full Starting XIs & Stats
Everton (4-2-3-1):
| # | Player | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordan Pickford | GK | |
| 32 | Jarrad Branthwaite | CB | |
| 5 | Michael Keane | CB | Beaten for goal assist |
| 6 | James Tarkowski | CB | Clearance vs Amad (4′) |
| 37 | James Garner | RB | |
| 42 | Tim Iroegbunam | CM | |
| 27 | Idrissa Gana Gueye | CM | |
| 45 | Harrison Armstrong | RW | |
| 22 | Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall | CAM | |
| 10 | Iliman Ndiaye | LW | |
| 11 | Thierno Barry | ST |
Absent: Jake O’Brien (suspension), Jack Grealish (injury), Carlos Alcaraz (last-minute injury)
Manchester United (4-2-3-1):
| # | Player | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Senne Lammens | GK | |
| 2 | Diogo Dalot | RB | |
| — | Leny Yoro | CB | |
| 5 | Harry Maguire | CB | |
| 23 | Luke Shaw | LB | |
| 18 | Casemiro | CM | |
| 37 | Kobbie Mainoo | CM | |
| 16 | Amad Diallo | RW | Subbed off ~58′ |
| 8 | Bruno Fernandes | CAM | Yellow card |
| 10 | Matheus Cunha | LW | Key assist (pass for goal) |
| 19 | Bryan Mbeumo | ST | Assist 71′ |
Sub: Benjamin Sesko (~58′, for Amad — Goal 71′)
Absent: Lisandro Martínez (injury), Matthijs de Ligt (injury), Mason Mount (injury), Patrick Dorgu (injury)
Match Statistics:
| Statistic | Everton | Manchester United |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 0 | 1 |
| Possession | 48% | 52% |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 3 |
| Corner Kicks | 10 | 1 |
| Total Passes | 405 | 475 |
| Venue | Hill Dickinson Stadium (52,326) | |
| Referee | Darren England |
H2H Record (Premier League all-time):
| Team | Wins | Draws | Losses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 19 | 11 | 7 |
| Everton | 7 | 11 | 19 |
Premier League Table — April 4, 2026:
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 31 | 21 | 7 | 3 | +39 | 70 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | +32 | 61 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 31 | 15 | 10 | 6 | +13 | 55 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 31 | 16 | 6 | 9 | +5 | 54 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 31 | 14 | 7 | 10 | +8 | 49 |
| 6 | Chelsea | 31 | 13 | 9 | 9 | +15 | 48 |
| 8 | Everton | 31 | 13 | 7 | 11 | +2 | 46 |
Bullet Point Summary — Everton F.C. Vs Manchester United F.C. Standings
- Benjamin Sesko scored in the 71st minute with his first touch of genuine significance after coming on as substitute
- It was Sesko’s third winning or equalising goal across Carrick’s six unbeaten matches in charge
- Bryan Mbeumo squared the decisive assist to Sesko after being released one-on-one by Cunha’s pinpoint pass
- Everton had seven home games without a win at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium following the result
- The victory moved Manchester United to third in the Premier League, one point behind Aston Villa in fourth
- Carrick extended his unbeaten run as interim manager to six matches with five wins and one draw
- Jordan Pickford could do little about the goal — it was United’s only shot on target in the game
- Everton’s James Tarkowski cleared Amad’s effort off the line in just the fourth minute — a moment that proved pivotal
- United remain four points behind second-placed Manchester City and 15 points behind leaders Arsenal
- The result left Everton eight points adrift of the top-six Europa League places in eighth