Manchester United snatched a late win against Burnley at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday.
An own goal gave United a well-deserved lead but they failed to put the game to bed in the first half.
The Clarets punished that wastefulness when Lyle Foster struck with their very first clear opportunity after the restart, only for Bryan Mbeumo to restore United’s lead almost instantly.
Another goalkeeping mistake allowed Jaidon Anthony to bring Burnley level again.
Bruno Fernandes turned into the saviour once again, converting from the spot after Amad Diallo won a penalty following VAR’s intervention.
Matheus Cunha was handed the task of leading United’s attack but he was forced off in the first half with a hamstring injury.
Many expected Benjamin Sesko to be the natural replacement, but Ruben Amorim instead turned to Joshua Zirkzee.
He explained the rationale behind his substitution in the post-match press conference (via Beanyman Sports): “He finished that [Grimsby] game with cramp, he was really in the limit, that’s why we protected Ben from the penalties.
“And today was that reason also, Josh is also a striker and I was thinking that Ben didn’t do 90 minutes in pre-season. He did that on Wednesday. I was not risking another player.”
Amorim made the right call by not risking Sesko
When Sesko stepped up as the 10th player to take the spot-kick during the penalty shootout, pundits criticised him and raised questions about his confidence.
It was revealed later that the 22-year-old was struggling with cramps. Sesko made his full debut against Grimsby Town and played the entire 90 minutes, his first in four months.
When Cunha hit the floor, two-thirds of the game was still left to be played. Joshua Zirkzee is an international player and he needs to prove his mettle when given the opportunity.
A manager has to back his squad players rather than showing favouritism or doing what is more popular.
The extent of Cunha’s injury could be clear by tomorrow. Risking another new attacker could have been catastrophic had Sesko been injured too.
With the international break looming, Sesko must focus on regaining full fitness and be ready to challenge for a starting role in the blockbuster clash against Manchester City.