Benjamin Sesko came off the bench to fire Manchester United up to fourth in the Premier League with a 1-0 win at Everton to extend Michael Carrick’s unbeaten start in charge of the Red Devils.
Sesko is yet to start in Carrick’s six games but has hit top form since Ruben Amorim was sacked in last month.
The Slovenian, who scored just twice in his first 22 appearances after a £74 million ($100 million) move from RB Leipzig, has netted six goals in his last seven games.
Victory lifts United three points clear of Chelsea and Liverpool in the battle for a place in next season’s Champions League, with only the top five set to qualify.
The quality of the United move that led to the winner 19 minutes from time was out of character with an otherwise uninspired 90 minutes.
Everton have now failed to win in seven home games as they struggle to adapt to life at their new 52,000 capacity Hill Dickinson Stadium.
David Moyes’ men missed the chance to move up to seventh as they remain on the fringes of the fight for a place in Europe next season.
Everton won 1-0 when the sides last met at Old Trafford in November despite playing almost the entire match a man down.
United have been transformed since former midfielder Carrick took the reins, but lacked rhythm as both sides played for the first time in 13 days.
Jordan Pickford saved from Amad Diallo inside two minutes with the only notable chance of the first half.
Bryan Mbeumo was preferred again ahead of Sesko in a centre forward role and missed his one opportunity early in the second period when he blasted over from a narrow angle.
But Mbeumo did have a part to play in a brilliant team move to earn the visitors all three points.
Sesko laid the ball off to Matheus Cunha deep inside his own half before sprinting downfield to slot in Mbeumo’s perfectly-weighted pass.
United had to see out a late Everton rally as Senne Lammens tipped over Michael Keane’s piledriver from long range.
But after keeping just two clean sheets all season prior to Amorim’s departure, they have kept three in six under Carrick to close in on a return to the Champions League for the first time in three seasons.
