Matheus Cunha is United's first summer signing in 2025, when the club are in the most trouble since a failed season. However, amid the chaos, the Brazilian striker still showed confidence and declared his readiness to face all challenges with the team at Old Trafford.
And as he said, Cunha showed no fear at Anfield last weekend. Against arch-rival Liverpool, the Brazilian striker played enthusiastically, handling skillfully in tight spaces and contributing significantly to Man United's 2-1 victory. Cunha made the opponent angry but at the same time helped his teammates fully carry out the tactical plan of captain Ruben Amorim.
CEO Omar Berrada even compared him to Eric Cantona of the modern era. Cunha is still quite far away from reaching the legendary level of "King Eric", but he possesses the technical qualities and the courage Eric Cantona showed.
Falcuous 9 and the flexibility of the Amorim system
At Anfield, Amorim decided not to use a striker really. He arranged Cunha to play in midfield, along with Mason Mount and Bryan Mbeumo to form a continuous rotation trio. This tactic confused Liverpool's defense. Instead of having to deal with Benjamin Sesko alone, they have to deal with players who are skillful, move intelligently and know how to exploit each phase of the second half.
Cunha has not scored or assisted after 8 matches, but his role in connecting and keeping the rhythm is very important. He is a bridge between Mount and Mbeumo, helping Man United maintain a smooth coordination flow, especially in quick counter-attacks.
Courage, skills and a "cold head" in hot weather
Cunha brought the "Red Devils" attack a mix of fighting spirit and soft skills. In Amorim's new philosophy of promoting the dispute over "double" and "three", Cunha is the type of player who can pick up the ball in a difficult position and then continue to distribute it neatly.
Cunha's most outstanding point is his ability to make decisions about when to dribble, when to hold and when to pass. He is not only fast but also very smart, knows how to turn people to cover and get penalties. Although he can explode in counter-attacks, Cunha is also sophisticated enough to keep the rhythm in a slow position.
In the second half of the match, he became the mainstay to help Man United reduce pressure. Long passes from goalkeeper Senne Lammens often do not get to the right position, but Cunha's quick reflexes and ability to handle in tight spaces help the whole team keep the ball instead of losing control.
The cleverness of combining tricks
Not only technique, Cunha also shows another aspect of tricks. During the minutes Liverpool were on the rise, he continuously searched for fouls, disrupting the opponent's attack. Once, after being knocked down, Cunha hugged the ball to report to the referee and pretended to have cramps to prolong the time.
That is the personality of Man United that was once known through Cantona or Rooney. As Liverpool tried to accelerate, Cunha chose to slow things down and that helped Ruben Amorim's team stand firm.
Image of a smart warrior
When the final whistle blew, Cunha, Bruno Fernandes and Lammens were the three Man United players with the most touches. He did not score, did not assist but was present everywhere as a ball keeper, a challenge and a launching pad for counter-attacks.
That flexibility makes it easy for Amorim to choose who to attack. Mount brings defensive balance, Sesko is physically fit, Mbeumo is agile, and Cunha is a combination of sophistication and intelligence.
After a season Amorim complained that the team lacked players who could make a difference, now he has such a person in hand, that is Matheus Cunha.
