According to The Athletic, Benjamin Šeško's sharp form early in his second season at Manchester United is the central attacking attribute the team desperately needs.

In his first season at Manchester United, Šeško had to be patient. Now in his second season, he is not wasting time. Šeško was the standout performer as Manchester United cruised to victory in the Champions League at home against Sabah on Thursday, the team's first Champions League match at Old Trafford since December 2023. In the 45th minute, he calmly cut the ball past goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov and finished into an empty net. While Šeško and Manchester United will face far tougher opponents than this Azerbaijani side, the early signs in the 2024-25 season suggest the striker has completely adapted to his role as a center forward.

Due to an injury issue, this was Šeško's first appearance since his winning performance against Liverpool on May 3rd, but his display underscored his importance. This season, he has scored 2 goals from 5 shots across approximately 120 minutes of play. While the sample is limited, it is enough to demonstrate his crucial role as Manchester United's attacking focal point. Šeško scored after coming on as a substitute against Everton on Sunday, playing a key role in building the attack before cutting inside and finishing—exactly the focal point the team was missing. Against Sabah, his attacking form combined precise movement with explosive pace, breaking the defense after receiving the ball from Mbeumo. This is classic center forward play.

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick said after the Sabah match: "Šeško certainly offers a different kind of threat. I think that's the beauty of it: we know what Ben brings to the team in terms of physicality, movement in the final third, pace to run in behind—there aren't many players who can provide those attributes. He is a genuine threat."

While Šeško can drop deep to link play—as he did against Everton and for Matheus Cunha's goal earlier this week—his greatest value lies in stretching the opponent's defense. He leads the press, is always ready for a direct ball, occupies the center-back space in a way few others can, and creates more room for teammates. This kind of center forward presence is exactly what Manchester United needs. Without Šeško, Carrick still has attacking threats: last season Mbeumo and Cunha scored 11 and 10 Premier League goals respectively. But early this season, Manchester United has consistently lacked a focal point.

Beyond Šeško's ongoing fitness concerns, Amad is also sidelined with an ankle injury. This has forced Mbeumo to play right wing instead of a central attacking role—a position he filled as backup when Šeško was injured last season. Cunha has been used as a false nine, but he cannot stretch the defense like Šeško. There have been many personnel changes, and while the attacking combination has shown promise, fluidity, and creativity, it has lacked the killer instinct. That is what Šeško brings, and it will be crucial when Manchester United returns to Old Trafford on Sunday to face Manchester City.

Manchester City's new manager Enzo Maresca has a formidable attacking game, while Manchester United's defense looks fragile, having conceded 6 goals in 3 league matches. Based on early season form, it would be unusual for either team if Manchester United does not concede against Manchester City, which makes the importance of attacking performance on the other end even clearer. Manchester City have started well but are still adapting to their new coach's tactical philosophy, including defensive adjustments and buildup play from the back. Manchester United will need Šeško to lead the press, penetrate into exploitable areas, and create doubt in the opponent's defense. So seeing him in sharp form is reassuring.

A year ago, as his transfer from Leipzig was still being finalized, Šeško did not participate in preseason training and required considerable time to adapt. He scored his first Manchester United goal in a 3-1 defeat to Brentford in late September—a consolation in his 7th appearance. After scoring again six weeks later, he had to miss another month due to a knee injury. By spring, he had become indispensable: he scored 9 league goals after Christmas, including an extra-time equalizer at West Ham United and winning goals against Fulham, Everton, Crystal Palace, and Brentford.

Concerns that Šeško would need time to regain fitness after missing preseason due to injury again are understandable—but the signs so far are encouraging. Again, he will face far tougher opponents than Sabah. But in his longest appearance since May last year (he was substituted in the 64th minute), he played with confidence and without caution, as evidenced by his goal. He did not hesitate to win the ball or engage in physical challenges. Carrick told reporters: "It's great to see him back at this level again after all the effort he has put in to get fully fit again. Two goals, good play, good minutes—we are very happy with his progress."

In an interview with TNT Sports, the UK broadcaster, Šeško described the Champions League win as "fantastic for us overall and gives us more momentum for the next game. I think the added confidence is huge. Now it is especially important to recover well and focus on the derby." Last summer, Šeško was the final piece of Manchester United's rebuilt attacking setup. For Sunday's match, Carrick hopes he will be the final piece that makes the new attacking combination fully functional.

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