Manchester United are back on the rise under Michael Carrick, who is getting this team to actually play exciting and effective football, and the team’s biggest stars are performing at their best level.
One of them is new striker Benjamin Sesko, a top talent. His aerial prowess was already well known in the Bundesliga before arriving at Old Trafford, and he has been scoring goals like crazy in 2026, including with his head.
Gradient Sports creates metrics that grade players based on performance in attributes, and Sesko is in the top 10 among players in the Premier League at finishing with their heads.
But you know what’s crazy? He’s actually ninth, and Manchester United have another player in first. That would be Casemiro, who is in first, beating out Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk in second and Everton’s James Tarkowski in third.
Raul Jimenez, Beto, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are the other strikers in the top 10.
That Casemiro is in the top 10 as a midfielder and first, no less, over players like DLC and Sesko speaks volumes to how great the Brazilian still is. And his headed goals are just another addition to the value proposition when it comes to deciding if he should stay for one more year.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.