Throughout the match, rookie duo Cunha and Mbeumo launched 9 shots, equal to the total of Arsenal. Although their finishing is still lacking in sharpness, their determination and direct play are undeniable. Every time they had a chance, these two stars immediately created a storm in the opponent's defense.
Cunha has repeatedly caused William Saliba - a famous calm central defender - to suffer. Meanwhile, Mbeumo caused Arsenal a lot of trouble when playing as a center forward, forcing David Raya to show his save in the 73rd minute. Notably, for 90 minutes, Mbeumo almost completely "pocketed" Riccardo Calafiori. Thanks to this pair, Man United fans finally have a reason to be satisfied and applaud.
Ruben Amorim could not hide his joy when seeing the two new recruits of the team stirring up the island on the field.
Among the two new recruits, Cunha is particularly impressive. The Brazilian star continuously pushed the whole team forward with speed, power and the ability to penetrate from the back. In the free game, the rookie of Man United brings creativity and a complete physical foundation.
Ruben Amorim admitted that the team has had a positive "rying up", played fiercely, was rich in fighting spirit and gradually found a clear tactical structure. Although his 3-defender system was once criticized for being rigid, this time it showed its effectiveness when the players proved to be steadfast when having and not having the ball.
However, Man United have not been able to completely resolve their defensive weaknesses. The poor handling of goalkeeper Altay Bayindir in a corner kick that led to a goal caused many people to think of Andre Onana's series of mistakes last season. However, up front, Man United have invested in the right place when bringing in a pair of top-quality strikers.
In the last 11 seasons in the Premier League, there has always been at least one team with a striker who has scored 20 or more goals. Ironically, Man United has not been among them since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. Now, Bryan Mbeumo (20 goals for Brentford last season) and Matheus Cunha (15 goals for Wolves) can completely break this curse.
The £133 million spent on the duo is not small but it is reasonable to put the disappointment of Hojlund and Garnacho aside. Hojlund has gone through a run of 21 consecutive games without scoring from December 2024 to March 2025, while Garnacho has been complacent by Amorim for his unprofessional training attitude.
Most likely, the Danish striker's departure on loan, even to AC Milan, is just a matter of time. After nearly 20 months under the management of Ineos Group, the "cooled but reasonable" approach is gradually taking shape at Man United. The Carrington renovation took place on schedule. At Old Trafford last Sunday, in a beautiful sunny afternoon, the atmosphere of rebirth was thick.
Of course, everything could change quickly if the team falls into a spiral of instability. However, at least Cunha and Mbeumo's performances against Arsenal have instilled in fans the belief that Man United are really trying to regain their position.
In the long series of black failures over the past few years, this is perhaps a rare defeat of honor, a defeat that makes fans able to lift their heads off the field, believing that there is a more promising journey ahead.
