Carrick credits Man United spirit as late equaliser extends unbeaten run at West Ham

London – Michael Carrick praised the resilience of his Manchester United side after substitute Benjamin Sesko’s 96th-minute strike salvaged a 1-1 draw at West Ham and preserved the club’s unbeaten start under the interim manager.

United arrived at the London Stadium on the back of four straight league victories, but they were met by a disciplined West Ham outfit that took a deserved lead through Tomas Soucek’s well-taken opener. Despite dominating possession for long spells, Carrick’s men rarely found the incision that had characterised recent performances, and Casemiro saw an equaliser correctly ruled out for offside before Joshua Zirkzee glanced a presentable header wide.

With the clock ticking past the 95-minute mark, Sesko – introduced from the bench in the second half – ghosted between two defenders to steer Bryan Mbeumo’s low cross beyond Alphonse Areola, igniting delirious scenes among the travelling support. The goal means United have now netted inside the final 15 minutes in each of Carrick’s five fixtures at the helm, a statistic the caretaker boss believes epitomises the squad’s mentality.

“We were okay. I think we’re a bit disappointed,” Carrick admitted to MUTV and TNT Sports. “We definitely weren’t at our best. We’ve had five games now, and we’ve been at a really good level. It’s a tough place to come, they made it difficult, and we just didn’t quite have that sharpness or that spark, really, to find the answers too often. But in the end, big credit to the boys, the spirit again in the late goal, and when we needed it. It’s a great quality to have.”

The draw lifts United five points clear of the chasing pack and extends their unbeaten league run to five matches since Carrick stepped into the dug-out. While the performance fell short of the standards set during recent wins, the late drama provided further evidence of a squad unwilling to accept defeat.

“There’s that spirit that galvanises you when you score late goals and you know you’re capable of scoring late goals,” Carrick added. “It’s good to have it in the bank if you need it. Hopefully, we can see games off a little bit sooner and take the points next time.”

West Ham, meanwhile, will rue the failure to close out a victory that looked increasingly likely as United’s final ball repeatedly went astray. David Moyes’ side remain in mid-table but will take heart from a display that restricted the visitors to a solitary point deep into stoppage time.

United now turn their attention to a mid-week cup tie before hosting relegation-threatened opposition at Old Trafford this weekend, knowing a return to the swashbuckling form of early November would keep their momentum intact.