Premier League: Sesko’s 90+6 equalizer preserves Carrick’s unbeaten start as Tottenham sink deeper and Chelsea squander two-goal lead
Benjamin Sesko’s stoppage-time flick rescued a 1-1 draw for Manchester United at West Ham and extended Michael Carrick’s unbeaten start, headlining a Premier League night that also saw Chelsea cough up a two-goal cushion against Leeds and Tottenham slide closer to the relegation fight with a 2-1 home loss to Newcastle.
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The late drama at the London Stadium kept United fourth, a point that felt like more given the manner of it and the shape of the Champions League race. Chelsea, now fifth, dropped their first points under manager Liam Rosenior in a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, while Liverpool in sixth can squeeze the gap further with a game in hand.
United find a way — again
United were seconds from their first defeat under Carrick after Tomas Soucek’s close-range strike early in the second half had West Ham in front. Carrick, though, is leaning as heavily on late-game resolve as he once did in midfield. Following late winners against Arsenal and Fulham, he watched substitute Sesko ghost to the near post and glance home an audacious finish in the 90+6 minute to stun the home crowd.
“It is those times when you aren’t totally at your best that you find a way,” Carrick said. “Credit to the boys for the spirit to get a late goal when we needed it. It is a great quality to have. We’ll take the point and move on.”
The equalizer keeps United ahead of Chelsea and ensures momentum remains intact as the fixtures tighten. The broader picture is encouraging, too: the Premier League’s coefficient strength this season makes an additional Champions League berth likely, potentially lowering the threshold to qualify without easing the pressure on teams clustered from third to sixth.
Chelsea’s streak checked by Leeds rally
For 60 minutes, Chelsea looked set to record a fifth straight league win under Rosenior, powered by Joao Pedro’s opener and a cool Cole Palmer penalty. Then the switch flipped. Leeds hit back with two goals in six minutes from Lukas Nmecha and Noah Okafor to earn a 2-2 draw and hand Rosenior his first dropped points in charge.
The turnaround underscored Leeds’ form surge and raised familiar questions about Chelsea’s game management when in control. With Liverpool playing at Sunderland on Wednesday and holding a game in hand on both United and Chelsea, the top-four — and possibly top-five — chase could compress further before the weekend.
Tottenham’s freefall deepens under Frank
Any margin for error is evaporating at Tottenham. A 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle extended Spurs’ winless league run in 2026 and left Thomas Frank facing rising pressure from a restless fan base. Malick Thiaw’s header in first-half stoppage time put Newcastle ahead, Archie Gray’s crisp strike briefly leveled on 64 minutes, and Jacob Ramsey slid in the winner four minutes later to halt Newcastle’s own three-game skid.
The reaction inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was sharp. “I understand the fans’ frustration. We are in a position we don’t want to be in, that we’re working very hard day and night to change,” Frank said afterward. Spurs have just one win in their last 11 league matches and now sit only five points clear of 18th-place West Ham. The form line is bleak: creative patterns sputtering, defensive lapses at critical moments and little control in transition. Progress in Europe offers a reprieve, but it has not transferred to domestic stability.
Bournemouth turn it around at Everton
Bournemouth produced the swiftest swing of the night at Hill Dickinson Stadium, overturning a first-half deficit to beat Everton 2-1 with two goals in three second-half minutes. Iliman Ndiaye’s penalty sent the home side in ahead at the break, but Bournemouth struck back through Rayan on 61 minutes and Amine Adli on 64 to pocket an away win that shifts their season’s tone and piles pressure on an Everton team prone to unraveling once momentum tilts.
Champions League race tightens
With United clinging to fourth and Chelsea stalling, Liverpool’s midweek trip to Sunderland looms large. Jürgen Klopp’s side are five points behind Chelsea and six back of United with that game in hand. The top four remains the guaranteed path to the Champions League, but the Premier League is poised to claim a likely extra spot thanks to English clubs’ performance in Europe, intensifying competition among a half-dozen clubs separated by narrow margins and streaky form.
Key takeaways
- Momentum matters: United’s late points under Carrick are compounding in the table — a hallmark of teams that finish seasons in the Champions League slots.
- Chelsea’s control vs. chaos: Fluid going forward, but vulnerable to quick swings; game-state management remains Rosenior’s immediate task.
- Tottenham’s slide: One win in 11, winless in the league in 2026, and now within touching distance of the bottom three. The booing chorus reflects real peril.
- Bournemouth belief: A rapid-fire comeback can be a season inflection point — especially away, with pressure mounting on hosts like Everton.
Results at a glance
- West Ham 1-1 Manchester United (Soucek; Sesko 90+6)
- Chelsea 2-2 Leeds (Joao Pedro, Palmer pen; Nmecha, Okafor)
- Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle (Gray; Thiaw 45+1, Ramsey 68)
- Everton 1-2 Bournemouth (Ndiaye pen; Rayan 61, Adli 64)
On a night that reshaped neither the summit nor the drop but sharpened both battles, the Premier League again found its familiar rhythm: late twists, thin margins and a table that refuses to sit still.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
