BENJAMIN Sesko scored a stoppage-time winner as Manchester United made it three wins in a row under Michael Carrick in a Premier League thriller with Fulham at Old Trafford.
In a match preceded by a protest attended by 500-600 fans, according to police sources, United seemed to be cruising to victory as Brazilian duo Casemiro and Matheus Cunha put them two up with goals either side of half-time.
But after Raul Jimenez pulled one back five minutes from time with a brilliant penalty into the roof of the home net, Kevin looked to have snatched a point with a thunderous strike to the top corner.
However, in nine minutes of time added on mainly due to two lengthy VAR checks that resulted in United having a penalty overturned and Fulham a goal disallowed, Sesko turned on to a Bruno Fernandes pass and drilled a shot into the top corner.
It took Ruben Amorim 36 Premier League games to win three in a row as United chief, his only sequence of successive victories.
Carrick has taken just three and was serenaded by the home supporters as his side went back into the Premier League’s top four.
Casemiro had put the hosts in front after a bizarre period of play. The home side were initially awarded a penalty by referee John Brooks for a Jorge Cuenca foul on Cunha. However, VAR James Bell overturned it as the final contact was outside the area.
Bruno Fernandes floated the free-kick to the far post and Casemiro headed home.
Casemiro then turned provider 11 minutes after half-time as he threaded a pass through the Fulham defence to Cunha, who smashed home United’s second.
But the consequences of the initial VAR check and the one that ruled out Jorge Cuenca’s second-half effort, which took so long both sets of supporters chanted against the system and drew an irritated reaction from Cottagers boss Marco Silva, was yet to be fully felt.
Jimenez delayed and delayed his penalty after he had been upended by Harry Maguire but eventually sent it right into the roof of the net.
Nine minutes injury-time was shown, which meant as Fulham celebrated Kevin’s brutal strike, Carrick and his players knew there was still time to respond.
So much has been mentioned recently about supposed ‘United DNA’. It is a difficult concept to define but, in historical terms, scoring very late goals must be part of it.
And, with an old boy in the dug-out, so an old-style finish came to pass.
Sesko kept his cool as he controlled Fernandes’ cross and turned in the area before taking advantage of Fulham’s failure to get to him quickly enough.
Manchester United are next in action against Tottenham, also at Old Trafford, on Saturday, 7 February (12:30 GMT). Fulham also play on Saturday, 7 February, against Everton at Craven Cottage (15:00 GMT).