"We played at an acceptable level but there was still some disappointment. The team has maintained a good standard over the past four matches, but today we weren't truly sharp," Carrick said after the match. "This is a tough ground, West Ham posed many challenges, and we lacked a bit of explosiveness to make a difference. However, I must commend the players for their fighting spirit, and the equalizer came at a crucial time. We will accept one point and move forward."

Manager Michael Carrick during Man Utd's 1-1 draw with West Ham in round 26 of the Premier League, at the Olympic Stadium, London, England on 10/2. *Photo: TouchlineX*

At the Olympic Stadium in London on 10/2, West Ham took the lead early in the second half through Tomas Soucek's diagonal finish. Man Utd then came close to an equalizer when Casemiro had a goal disallowed for a tight offside, and Joshua Zirkzee headed just wide of the post. In the sixth minute of injury time, substitute forward Benjamin Sesko shone with a one-touch volley into the top corner from Bryan Mbeumo's cross from the right wing, securing the 1-1 draw.

Carrick highlighted the impact of the substitutes who entered the field late in the game, especially Zirkzee and Sesko. "That was a great finish," the English coach said about the equalizer. "Late in the game, we brought on more attacking players and went all out. Perhaps the team should have put more balls into the penalty area. Zirkzee had an opportunity that went just wide of the post. But Sesko's goal was a big moment, and I am very happy for him."

In the victory against Fulham, Sesko also came on in the second half and scored the winning goal in the fourth minute of injury time, securing a 3-2 result. When asked why the Slovenian striker did not start, Carrick stated he had to balance the squad. "The players who have been starting recently have done very well. Sesko is training hard and ready to push on. When he came on, he made a clear difference," he said.

Man Utd extended their unbeaten run under Carrick, with four victories and one draw. Looking further back, the Red Devils are unbeaten in nine consecutive Premier League matches, their longest unbeaten streak since a 14-match run from 30/1/2021 to 9/5/2021. This sequence of results has helped Man Utd climb to fourth place with 45 points, one point ahead of Chelsea.

Carrick sees this as a period for the team to reflect and improve. "Football is not always easy. The important thing is to find a solution, and today we found a way to earn one point," he said. "This league demands high consistency. Five unbeaten matches is a positive achievement, but we want to come back stronger and continue to improve during the upcoming break."

Benjamin Sesko (in white) scores the 1-1 equalizer. *Photo: Reuters*

Meanwhile, Sesko emphasized the team spirit after the injury-time equalizer. "I am pleased with the finish, but not truly happy with the draw because I think the team deserved to win. The whole team fought hard," he told TNT Sports.

Sesko admitted Man Utd were somewhat unlucky and had not reached their best intensity against West Ham. The 22-year-old forward believes the entire squad can take positives from the match as they look ahead to their next game against Everton in round 27 of the Premier League at Hill Dickinson Stadium on 23/2.