Benjamin Šeško’s winner against Fulham came with a candid assessment of Manchester United’s collective effort under Michael Carrick. Asked by Sky Sports whether Carrick had urged the squad to enjoy playing for the club again, the 22-year-old said: “It’s true, he has said these things many times to the team. That’s exactly what we are doing.” He added that the change went beyond mood.

“But it’s not just that. You can see how much we work hard for each other without the ball and that also contributes to good results in the end. The work rate is definitely different. Everyone is on point and covering their spaces. In the end, that’s what counts.”

Šeško’s remarks pointed a critical light at his predecessor. The draft notes that Ruben Amorim was relieved of his duties at the start of January after reportedly falling out with the club’s upper hierarchy rather than the dressing room. The impression that players had begun to lose confidence in Amorim’s methods is underlined by the observation that Leeds United collectively ran more than 5km further than their Manchester counterparts in what proved to be Amorim’s final game.

Šeško did not dwell on the past. “The aim is to continue like this,” he insisted. “We want to focus on our work and what we have to do. We have [to] work hard like we are and focus in every moment. All of this is going to lead to great results.”

United took all three points and returned to the division’s top four, but Fulham’s manager made a forceful post-match point. “Top performance from ourselves. Second half, our team was better. The way we played and controlled the ball, they wanted to press us high but we never let them,” Marco Silva said.

Carrick reflected on Fulham’s quality in his own post-match comments: “I was well aware of what a good team Fulham are going into the game. I was getting questions thrown at me about teams sitting back here, but I knew it was never going to be like that today,” Carrick crowed post-match.

United have now won seven successive games while recording possession of 45% or below. When they have had more than 45% of the ball this season, they have four wins from 17 Premier League games, per Opta. The run raises the question of how United will fare against teams that invite them on and force sustained control, a tactical issue flagged ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s trip to Old Trafford next Saturday.

Arsenal arrived at Elland Road facing a match that had taken on added significance and left with both a victory and fresh uncertainty over one of their key attackers. A set piece and a goalkeeping error by Karl Darlow opened the scoring, and Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Jesus added second-half strikes to ensure a comprehensive result that tamped down talk of a potential title collapse. The side remain the frontrunners, but attention has already turned to the condition of Bukayo Saka.

A video of the moment Saka picked up his pre-match injury has circulated, though the precise problem has not been confirmed. It appeared his left leg was bothering him ahead of kick-off. Mikel Arteta described the issue as a “little niggle” after the game and said that the full extent of the injury is not yet known, while also seeming to play down the prospect of a long-term setback.

Saka’s recent fitness record gives added context to the concern. He suffered a major hamstring injury at the end of 2024, underwent surgery and was sidelined for more than three months before returning in late March. At the start of the current campaign he missed six games because of a less significant hamstring issue.

At this stage there is no confirmed return date for Saka. Medical clarification is required before any timeline can be provided. The club and supporters will await a formal diagnosis, but that information is expected to follow quickly. For now, Arsenal can take encouragement from the result at Elland Road while monitoring the recovery of a player who has recently battled through significant hamstring problems.

Manchester City surrendered a 2-0 half-time advantage and saw Tottenham fight back to claim a 2-2 draw. Dominic Solanke scored twice, the second described in the original report as a goal likely to attract Puskás Award conversation, and his equaliser framed a tense final phase in which Spurs appeared most likely to take all three points.

The result cost City ground in the Premier League title race; Arsenal are now six clear at the summit. There were, however, encouraging signs for City: the new arrivals Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guéhi made positive contributions and Rayan Cherki continued the form that has marked him out as one of the division’s standout performers over the last couple of months. Guardiola’s move to a narrow possession system prioritising central combinations is credited with getting the best out of Cherki.

Erling Haaland has broken his open-play duck this week against Galatasaray, but he remains without a non-penalty Premier League goal since Dec. 20. The tactical switch to a 4-2-2-2 / 4-3-1-2 and the emphasis on central combinations exposed some limitations in Haaland’s role as a facilitator. While City’s midfield dominated the first half, the striker was often not on the same page with his teammates.

Player ratings
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma — 6.6: Quiet first half, required several important saves in the second.
RB: Matheus Nunes — 6.2: Limited influence in possession; Spurs found space down their left when Destiny Udogie advanced.
CB: Abdukodir Khusanov — 7.2: Beaten by Solanke for the opener but delivered notable recovery defending.
CB: Marc Guéhi — 7.0: Largely assured; his deflection led to Spurs’ first goal and Guardiola felt a foul occurred.
LB: Rayan Aït-Nouri — 6.5: Elevated City’s technical level with accomplished left-sided footwork.
CM: Rodri — 8.1: Booked but impressive, particularly in the first hour after returning from injury.
CM: Bernardo Silva (c) — 8.0: Canny and creative; assisted Semenyo’s goal.
CM: Nico O’Reilly — 7.4: Enjoyed his midfield role against an outnumbered pivot; later moved to left back.
AM: Rayan Cherki — 7.9: Looked effective despite a knock; opened the scoring with a pinpoint, deflected strike.
ST: Antoine Semenyo — 7.4: Dangerous down the left channel; composed finish for City’s second.
ST: Erling Haaland — 8.0: Limited opportunities and some poor final actions that killed chances.

Subs: Tijjani Reijnders 7.7, Nico González 6.5, Phil Foden N/A, Omar Marmoush N/A. Unused subs listed in the report.

Match statistics (Tottenham v Man City): Possession 39% v 61%; xG 0.97 v 2.01; Total shots 12 v 15; Shots on target 6 v 3; Big chances 2 v 3; Passing accuracy 81% v 91%; Fouls 15 v 12; Corners listed in the original report.