Man Utd forward Benjamin Sesko was moved to the bench against Liverpool and the striker-less attack performed well.
Steven Railston
Steven Railston
United applaud the fans last weekend.(Image: 2025 Manchester United FC)
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It was a brave decision from Ruben Amorim to bench Benjamin Sesko against Liverpool last weekend.
Sesko had scored twice in his last two matches for Manchester United, but Amorim decided to revert to the striker-less front three he picked for the first three games of the season.
Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount and Bryan Mbeumo looked threatening in those matches, but none of the three scored when all on the pitch together (Mbeumo only scored against Burnley once Mount was substituted).
Although there was the potential for United to be blunt at Anfield, Mbeumo scored within two minutes at the Kop, finishing brilliantly following a perfectly-weighted pass from Amad.
The decision to play with a striker-less front three worked a treat. Mbeumo, Cunha and Mount were excellent and Amorim now has a tough selection decision for Brighton's visit to Old Trafford this weekend.
Should Amorim persist with the striker-less attack that delivered at Anfield? United had one of the worst attacks in the league last season and it must be refreshing for Amorim to have a selection dilemma.
It's a welcome headache for Amorim. The 40-year-old has strong attacking options at his disposal and can tweak the team accordingly to adapt to the opposition this season.
The attacking pieces have fallen into place for Amorim and he will be aware of the importance of getting his team selection right against Brighton when considering what is at stake.
The Liverpool victory was outstanding, but it must serve as a springboard for further success, so the visit of Brighton is arguably just as important as last weekend's visit to Anfield.
United have a huge opportunity to win three games in a row and could possibly enter the November international break in the Champions League places if they build on their result against Liverpool.
There would be logic in rewarding Cunha, Mount and Mbeumo for their performances in Merseyside by starting them against Brighton, as managers can be reluctant to change a winning team. There would also be logic in recalling Sesko to the starting XI, given his form before the Anfield visit.
Sesko came on in the second half.
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It will be a difficult decision for Amorim to make ahead of this weekend, but he prepared for the new season with a frontman in his plans and perhaps the scales will tip in Sesko's favour.
Cunha, Mount and Mbeumo have developed an impressive understanding, however, there is a strong argument to play Sesko down the middle this weekend.
Sesko arrived at Old Trafford in the summer window for a fee of €76.5million (£66.4m) and €8.5m (£7.3m) in add-ons. He could reach 20 goals this season if the attack clicks into gear, but Mount or Cunha are unlikely to reach that figure down the middle.
Sesko has found his feet in Manchester over the last month, following his first goal against Brentford with a clever strike against Sunderland, and could be on the cusp of a purple patch if he's given starts.
The ceiling for the striker-less front three is essentially lower than that of an attack including Sesko, which is why Amorim should recall the Slovenia international to the XI to face Brighton.
In that scenario, who is moved to the bench is arguably an even bigger headache, but it has to be between Mount and Cunha, who would compete to start on the left side of the attack.
Mbeumo has made an excellent start to the campaign and has the right side locked down, while it's difficult to choose between Mount and Cunha on the left after the last fortnight.
Mount was superb against Sunderland and was industrious against Liverpool. Cunha was recalled at Anfield and his clever game management was key in the closing stages of the contest.
It's encouraging Amorim has tough decisions to make in a department that struggled last season.