If January was the month Michael Carrick announced himself as United's new boss with wins over Manchester City and Arsenal, February was the month he proved it wasn't a fluke. The Red Devils went 3-1-0 across four Premier League fixtures, stayed firmly in the top four, and continued to look like a completely different side from the one Ruben Amorim left behind in early January. Oh, and Benjamin Sesko? The man is basically unplayable off the bench right now.
February 1 — Manchester United 3-2 Fulham
Old Trafford has had some dramatic moments in recent years, but this one was something else. Substitute Benjamin Sesko's emphatic stoppage-time strike secured Carrick a dramatic third straight win in charge as Fulham were edged out 3-2 in a pulsating match at Old Trafford. ESPN
United looked comfortable for much of the match. Casemiro headed in a Bruno Fernandes free-kick for the opener in the 19th minute, then turned provider with a stunning no-look pass from which Matheus Cunha doubled the lead early in the second half. Premier League Two-nil up with time running out, it looked like a routine three points.
Then Fulham decided to make things interesting. Raul Jimenez converted a penalty in the 85th minute after Harry Maguire brought him down, and then substitute Kevin curled home a brilliant equalizer just into stoppage time — his first Premier League goal — to seemingly break United's hearts. Premier League
But then Sesko happened. Bruno Fernandes created the chance with a clever dribble past Calvin Bassey, crossed for Sesko, who had time to take a touch and curl his shot into the top corner Manchester United in the fourth minute of added time. Absolute bedlam inside Old Trafford.
February 7 — Manchester United 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Four days after the Munich Air Disaster anniversary, which Carrick led the club's commemorations for, United put on another confident display at home. Spurs captain Cristian Romero was shown a straight red card for serious foul play in the 29th minute following a reckless challenge on Casemiro, and United took full advantage. Premier League
Bryan Mbeumo slotted home from a wonderful set-piece routine in the 38th minute Premier League — a move worked on the training pitch, with Kobbie Mainoo flicking a low Fernandes corner back for Mbeumo to sweep home. Amad and Matheus Cunha then had goals ruled out for offside in the second half, but Fernandes finally doubled the lead nine minutes from time, latching on to a Diogo Dalot cross and directing it back across Vicario and in. ESPN
United's first win against Spurs since 2022 kept their firm grip on fourth spot, while Tottenham remained in deep trouble down in 14th. ESPN As a nice footnote, Tyler Fletcher — one of interim boss Darren Fletcher's twin sons — made his debut as a late substitute. A feel-good moment in what's becoming a feel-good era under Carrick.
February 10 — West Ham 1-1 Manchester United
The winning streak had to end somewhere, and it ended in east London — though not without one final twist. United were bidding for a fifth straight Premier League victory under Carrick, which would have moved them up to third and closed the gap to second-placed Manchester City to just three points. ESPN
A cagey first half saw few chances for both sides, though Aaron Wan-Bissaka — making his return to Old Trafford for the first time — cleared Luke Shaw's goal-bound effort off the line. Premier League West Ham took the lead early in the second half when Jarrod Bowen's low cross from the right found Tomas Soucek, who tapped home his 39th goal for the club — making him the highest scoring Czech player in Premier League history. Manchester United
Casemiro thought he had equalized in the 62nd minute, but VAR ruled it out for the narrowest of offsides. ESPN It looked like a first defeat for Carrick was coming. Then, six minutes into stoppage time, Sesko got in ahead of his marker to expertly convert from Bryan Mbeumo's cross Manchester United and snatch a point that kept the unbeaten run alive.
United stayed fourth, and while the dropped points weren't ideal, it extended an unbeaten Premier League run that had now stretched to nine games. ESPN
February 23 — Everton 0-1 Manchester United
After a break in the schedule, United traveled to Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium for what turned out to be a tightly contested, if not exactly pretty, affair. And once again, it was Sesko off the bench who made the difference.
The Slovenia striker had yet to start in any of Carrick's six matches in charge, but had now scored two winners and snatched a late equalizer to maintain his interim boss's unbeaten start. ESPN
He was brought on just before the hour mark and made his impact felt within 13 minutes, getting on the end of a direct counter-attack in a rare moment of incisiveness from the visitors. ESPN The goal owed plenty to Matheus Cunha's searching pass from deep, isolating Bryan Mbeumo one-on-one with Michael Keane. Mbeumo had the pace to get past the centre-back and square for Sesko to emphatically convert. ESPN
It was also United's first away clean sheet of the season Manchester United, with Senne Lammens doing his part to hold Everton at bay as they pushed for an equalizer down the stretch.
The win moved United to 48 points, three clear of fifth-place Chelsea and sixth-place Liverpool. ESPN
The Big Picture
Benjamin Sesko's numbers coming off the bench under Carrick are remarkable — three goals in four substitute appearances. The guy has stepped into every crucial moment and delivered. But honestly, the bigger story is how this team has been transformed across the board. Carrick has lifted the mood around Old Trafford by reinvigorating a side that stumbled into 2026 as Ruben Amorim's reign came to an acrimonious end. ESPN
The football is direct, energetic, and fun to watch again. The top four looks secure for now, and with Champions League football increasingly in reach, February 2026 will be remembered as the month the revival became very, very real.