The harmonious combination between Mbeumo and Amad
Amad Diallo's future has been questioned since Manchester United signed Bryan Mbeumo for £71 million in the 2025 summer transfer window.
Amad, who was second-highest scorer for the team last season - behind only Bruno Fernandes, has left many memorable impressions on the right wing. Most notably was the decisive goal against Manchester City and the hat-trick against Southampton.
Meanwhile, Mbeumo joined Old Trafford after an impressive season with 20 goals in the same position at Brentford. That made it difficult for coach Ruben Amorim to arrange both players in the same starting lineup.
Some initial problems are inevitable, but gradually, the duo have found a common voice - an important factor in helping Man United revive their form.
Amad is currently playing as a right-back, while Mbeumo plays higher in the 10th position in Amorim's 3-4-3 formation. The pair showed incredible chemistry, especially in the match against Liverpool. Amad assisted the Cameroonian rookie to open the scoring with a skillful pass.
The connection between them is clearly shown through their body language and the good coordination in each phase of the ball. If one person cannot make a breakthrough, the other person will do it for them. Although Amad's playing minutes have decreased because he has to take on more defensive duties, it is a small price to help Mbeumo integrate quickly.
The former Brentford star is quickly asserting himself as one of the most valuable deals of the summer in the Premier League, with 6 goals in the first 10 matches, including an impressive double against Brighton.
Both Mbeumo and Amad are expected to feature in the AFCON football Cup (AFCON) from 21 December to 18 January. However, if Man United maintain stable performance during their absence, this duo can completely extend their unbeaten streak together in the second half of the season.
Matheus Cunha is gradually getting into the rhythm
Unlike Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha has not been able to integrate quickly at Old Trafford. Recruited by Man United from Wolves for £62.5 million in June, the Brazilian striker is expected to be the solution to the team's persistent scoring problem.
Despite scoring 15 Premier League goals for Wolves, Cunha has failed to score in his first eight games for Amorim's side.
A hamstring injury also caused him to start slowly, missing the Manchester derby and only played 25 minutes against Chelsea last month. However, that does not mean Cunha plays badly.
In fact, his technical class is still clearly shown. Cunha is an active winger, skillful dribbler and handling situations intelligently, rarely making wrong decisions. It is these qualities that help Man United significantly improve their attacking ability even though he has not scored many goals.
However, the striker is always judged by goals. That is why Cunha's classy goal against Brighton in the 24th minute brought a feeling of relief and excitement to the whole team. He celebrated enthusiastically in front of Stretford End, after launching a technical curve to defeat Bart Verbruggen, sending the ball into the far post and flying into the net.
Stability will come when Cunha and the "Red Devils" continue to develop together. Like Mbeumo, the former Wolves player has proven his ability to play at the highest level in the Premier League. And if he finds his original assassinate instinct, Cunha will become a difference-making factor in Man United's most intense matches.
The goalkeeper problem has finally been resolved
Man United have not had a world-class goalkeeper since Edwin van der Sar.
David de Gea was a dedicated goalkeeper for the club, winning a series of titles including the Premier League, FA Cup, Europa League and League Cup, but he has never brought a sense of absolute security. In the final stages at Old Trafford, De Gea's basic mistakes and lack of confidence in front of goal gradually revealed themselves.
There have been many calls for Man United to re-sign De Gea in the past two years, but in reality, those voices only resounded because of the disastrous decline of successor Andre Onana. Under Erik ten Hag, Man United have made many mistakes, but bringing Onana from Ajax to Manchester was probably the worst decision.
Man United's instability during that period was strongly affected by Onana, who repeatedly made mistakes that caused the team to lose points in matches that seemed to be certain of winning. Amorim has clearly shown impatience with the Cameroonian goalkeeper at the end of last season, and started the new season by deciding to give Altay Bayindir a chance.
However, Bayindir could not meet the requirements, making the goalkeeper position continue to be a weakness of the "Red Devils". Everything has only changed since the last day of the transfer window, when Man United signed Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for £18 million.
The 23-year-old Belgian goalkeeper - long considered a potential successor to Thibaut Courtois - is bringing a new breeze to Man United's defense. He kept a clean sheet in his debut match against Sunderland, and had excellent saves in important victories against Liverpool and Brighton.
Not only excellent in reflection, Lammens also controlled the penalty area with impressive power, along with the ability to launch accurate attacks with long passes. This is a factor that is helping Man United play more directly and effectively under Amorim.
Of course, it is too early to put Lammens in a world-class goal, but it is clear that Man United finally have a goalkeeper who brings calmness and confidence in each shot.
