Manchester United's decisive goal against Everton originated from a classy long pass from Matheus Cunha. The ball found Bryan Mbeumo, who accelerated to face Michael Keane before crossing uncomfortably.
Inside, Benjamin Sesko accelerated past James Tarkowski and then unleashed a shot to defeat goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Judging by the game, it was a rather unexpected goal. But for the Man United board in the stands, that goal was the result of a transfer strategy planned from last summer.
The minimal 1-0 victory is enough to help coach Michael Carrick's team rise to fourth place in the Premier League table, surpassing Chelsea and Liverpool in the race to win tickets to the UEFA Champions League.
In the immediate future, the rest of the season is a 11-match race to bring the "Red Devils" back to the most prestigious European playground after 2 years of absence. In the long term, that cannot be a measure worthy of the club's position.
However, a successful summer transfer window with contracts like Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko shows that the inherent problems in the recruitment stage - which once caused heavy losses - may be gradually being resolved.
Certainly, new players play an extremely important role. That is ideal. Professional qualities and personality are key factors, especially when playing football here.
To win, many factors are needed. There are matches where everything goes smoothly, opportunities come continuously. But there are also matches like tonight - praise must be given to Everton - when the game is quite balanced. Things don't always go smoothly, but the spirit, belief and cohesion that the players are building are very important" - Carrick shared.
Man United's top priority this summer is to appoint an official head coach. Whether Carrick is given a long-term opportunity or another name appears, the job will certainly be lighter if the squad already has suitable players.
However, the standard at Old Trafford was established from the glorious dynasties of Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson. According to that measure, this season still cannot meet expectations. However, when the campaign closes, one of the clear bright spots will be the contribution of new signings such as Cunha, Mbeumo, Sesko and goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
The young Belgian goalkeeper, who joined from Royal Antwerp for a fee of under 20 million pounds, also left a strong mark against Everton. He controlled the space well in James Garner's corner kick situations, especially in the last 15 minutes of suspense, and excellently saved Keane's shot. The save against Tyrique George in the third minute of injury time kept all 3 points for the away team.
Their goalkeeper had an excellent match" - coach David Moyes admitted after the match.
Man United's recent transfer history has witnessed many expensive but ineffective deals such as Alexis Sanchez, Jadon Sancho or Antony. Therefore, having 4 positive impact contracts in the same transfer window is a welcome sign, especially when the club is about to find a replacement for Casemiro.
The Brazilian midfielder - an important factor in the revival period under Carrick - will leave the team at the end of the season. The responsibility to find a successor is once again placed on the shoulders of CEO Omar Berrada, Football Director Jason Wilcox and Recruitment Director Christopher Vivell.
It's hard for me to talk about the past when I'm no longer there. Sometimes we just expect players to perform well, but there are many other factors that affect them. Feeling comfortable with the environment, with the working space is important to fully develop our abilities. And sometimes it takes time" - Carrick shared.
Currently, Carrick appears quite solid. With 5 wins and 1 draw after 6 matches leading, the 44-year-old captain has put himself on the list of candidates for the official coach position. Man United is also the only team in the Premier League that has not lost in 2026, and no team has won more than 18 points since the beginning of the year.
But if you want to understand how great the pressure at Old Trafford is, Carrick only needs to look to the other side of the wing. Moyes - who was successful at Everton and West Ham - only stayed 10 months at Man United before being sacked. He also faced similar transfer issues.
After witnessing Sesko, Cunha, Mbeumo and Lammens make a difference against Everton, perhaps Moyes also has enough grounds to remind the Man United board that, no matter who sits in the hot seat, everything will become much easier when suitable people are in hand.
