Neville Hails Cunha and Mbeumo as Carrick Faces Different Examination Against Fulham

Gary Neville has singled out two Manchester United players for special commendation following Sunday's thrilling 3-2 triumph against Fulham.

The interim tenure of Michael Carrick has begun spectacularly, with commanding victories over Manchester City and Arsenal—the Premier League's top two—already under his belt. Yet the weekend fixture against Marco Silva's Cottagers presented an entirely different proposition.

United appeared in complete control after Casemiro and Matheus Cunha had put them two goals clear. Fulham, however, refused to wilt, clawing back into the contest with two quickfire strikes, the second arriving in the opening minute of stoppage time. The pendulum swung decisively back in United's favour when Benjamin Sesko fired home the winner deep into the second-half injury period—a moment that drew inevitable comparisons to the dramatic finishes synonymous with the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Speaking on his Sky Sports podcast, Neville reserved particular admiration for the summer acquisitions Mbeumo and Cunha, suggesting they have adapted seamlessly to United's demands. "Mbeumo and Cunha have just looked like Manchester United players straightaway, the way they take the ball and attack defenders," he observed.

Sesko's contribution earned warm recognition too, with Neville describing the Slovenian's finish as "very United-like" and noting that supporters would have been desperate to see him on the scoresheet given his difficult transition to English football. "He's got a really good strike on him, that's one thing he does have," Neville added.

The former defender framed the encounter as a crucial examination for Carrick's emerging project. "This was another type of test for united and Carrick against a team lower in the league," he explained, emphasising the importance of maintaining consistency in the push for a top-four finish. "It would have been devastating to drop two points because they need to be pretty consistent now to get the top-four. United look like they're in a good place."