Manchester United will be looking to achieve something on Monday that they have not done since May 20, 2023: beat Bournemouth.
Since claiming a third-straight win vs. Bournemouth, United would lose 3-0 at Old Trafford before drawing 2-2 at the Vitality Stadium, followed by another humiliating 3-0 defeat at home. Their next meeting would come in April, with Antoine Semenyo opening the scoring early on for the hosts, only for Rasmus Hojlund to equalize at the final second for United. Fast-forward eight
months, and it’s fair to say that quite a lot has changed for both sides. From Bournemouth’s XI, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Milos Kerkez, Ilya Zabarnyi, Dean Huijsen and Dango Ouattara have headed elsewhere, whilst United have lost Andre Onana, Alejandro Garnacho and Hojlund. They’ve also added several new faces like Benjamin Sesko, Senne Lammens, Bryan Mbuemo, and Matheus Cunha. And whilst Sesko and Mbuemo will miss the upcoming Bournemouth clash, all signs point to Cunha having a major role to play against the Cherries.
Born and raised in Brazil, Cunha left for Europe in 2017, going from Swiss club Sion to German sides RB Leipzig and Hertha Berlin to Spanish powerhouse Atletico Madrid, before eventually finding his way to England after joining Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2023. It was here at Molineux where Cunha established himself as a vital cog in Wolves’ attack, earning praise from leading English managers like Sean Dyche, Stephen Constantine and Graham Potter. Cunha excelled for the Premier League side, racking up 14 goals and 8 assists in 36 appearances across the 2023/24 season and wreaking havoc against a number of different English teams, including Bournemouth. Having been kept under wraps in his first meeting vs. the Cherries – a 1-0 loss – earlier in the year, Cunha would draw Wolves level after calmly slotting into the back of the net whilst falling down, paving the way for a 2-1 win.
After being nullified in both defeats in 2024, Cunha returned to the fore in February against 10-man Bournemouth, who failed to deal with a cross and allowed Cunha to sneak into the box unmarked. The Brazilian forward held his composure and smashed it into the top bins to score the sole goal of the match, before outdoing himself just a few weeks later after receiving from 40 yards out, looking up, taking aim, and firing a miraculous goal into the back of the net. However, Cunha would later make his presence known for the wrong reasons after lashing out and headbutting Milos Kerkez. And even after being shown red, he refused to come off the pitch and had to be dragged into the tunnel; Bournemouth would end up prevailing on penalties and advancing to the next round of the FA Cup.
Following a sensational 2024/25 season that would see him rack up 17 goals and 6 assists in 36 appearances, Cunha finally confirmed the inevitable by leaving Wolves for a top six club, with Manchester United paying £62.5m for the Brazilian forward. He endured a shaky start to life at Old Trafford, failing to convert the winning spot-kick in their penalty shootout defeat to Grimsby Town and failing to find the back of the net in his first eight appearances. However, he would finally kick things off with a goal vs. Brighton, before being nullified in back-to-back matches vs. Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur. And after missing two matches with a knock, he returned to the starting XI in a 1-1 draw vs. West Ham, before heading back to his former stomping grounds.
Cunha delivered a sensational performance at Molineux, setting up Bruno Fernandes’ opening goal, racking up 8 shots and 3 key passes, and completing 3 out of 5 dribbles. He also showcased a willingness to contribute defensively, winning 8 out of 18 ground duels, making 3 recoveries and completing 3 out of 4 tackles in a 4-1 win vs. Wolves. Considered one of the most dynamic forwards in the Premier League by leading pundits like Tim Howard, Kevin Egan and Nico Cantor, Cunha is capable of making an impact on both ends of the pitch. It’s why, even as he struggles to deliver the same goal-scoring efficiency that marked an era at Molineux, Cunha is still leaving quite a few United fans impressed with his ability to carry the ball forward, dribble past clusters of opponents, and find his way into dangerous goal-scoring areas. Wolves fans, meanwhile, are left wondering if his individual brilliance was really papering over the cracks all this time, with the West Midlands side currently lying bottom of the Premier League with two points from 16.
Matheus Cunha has already shown that he can find the back of the net vs. Bournemouth, but now, can he show that he can score vs. Bournemouth in a red kit? Expect the Brazilian to play a big role as United seek to extend the Cherries’ winless streak to seven games.
