Manchester United’s Benjamin Sesko is starting to look like a serious threat, even in comparison to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
Haaland has 22 goals so far, while Sesko sits on eight. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Unlike Haaland, who starts regularly for City, Sesko has had limited chances at United.
Still, when you break down his stats and compare them over similar periods in their careers, things get interesting. Since joining City at the same age as Sesko is now, Haaland played 53 games and scored 41 goals for Borussia Dortmund.
This means that although there is a gap of almost two years between where both players are currently in their careers, it does show how close Sesko has been able to match one of football’s biggest names.
Benjamin Sesko is more than capable of filling Rasmus Hojlund void
In November, ahead of Denmark’s Euro qualifier against Northern Ireland, Rasmus Hojlund picked up a calf injury, which would keep him out until February.
Sesko stepped up during that period and began showcasing his goal-scoring ability with a consistent run of form under Erik ten Hag. When Hojlund returned, he found himself in great form with four goals and an assist from five starts across all competitions.
Soon after that period, though, both players suffered dips in form, along with the team itself going on a four-match winless run from late February into early March.
Sesko’s recent numbers prove how important he could be for Manchester United
Since that draw against Newcastle United back on March 4th, Benjamin Sesko has been Manchester United’s main man.
This consistency throughout his first season makes him a strong option if Ten Hag wants to rotate between three forwards again next campaign by including Marcus Rashford in that mix.
The plan was never for him to take Hojlund out of the picture entirely, but rather to give Manchester United another quality attacking option so they were less predictable going forward.
Benjamin Sesko is keeping pace with Haaland’s shot volume
No player in the Premier League has fired off more shots than Haaland this season. The Manchester City forward leads the league with 81 attempts, comfortably ahead of Antoine Semenyo, who sits second on 58.
But when you break it down per 90 minutes, Sesko is right there with him. According to FBref, both players are averaging 1.86 shots on target per game, putting them level in that metric.
If Haaland is the benchmark for elite forwards in England, then Sesko’s numbers suggest he’s not far off the pace. Given more playing time, there’s a strong case to be made that his goal tally would reflect that.
What’s more, Sesko is exceeding his expected goals this campaign—a clear sign he’s making the most of his chances and responding well to early criticism from earlier in the season.
Sesko steps up where Hojlund struggled
Inside Carrington, there’s a real sense that Sesko is an upgrade on Hojlund, and his debut season numbers are backing that up.
Sesko has also made more of an impact on the ball, taking more touches per game than Hojlund did during his time at Old Trafford.
Hojlund managed just 0.47 shots per 90 minutes at United, a figure that looks even smaller compared to what Sesko is producing now.
Sesko doesn’t just have ability; he’s got the right mentality too. Ineos will feel pretty good about spending £66m on him last summer.
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