Matheus Cunha has effectively taken Marcus Rashford’s left-wing place in Michael Carrick’s 4-2-3-1, and despite not scoring as much, he’s giving Man Utd what Rashford rarely did.
Man Utd’s unbeaten streak under Michael Carrick is now six games after a 1-0 win against Everton took them three points clear in fourth position.
Benjamin Sesko scored as Carrick named an unchanged attack, which meant Matheus Cunha continued his inside-forward role on the left.
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Marcus Rashford and Cunha might play the same position, but their playing style couldn’t be more different, which was on clear display against Everton.
Matheus Cunha’s manic effort vs Everton
Cunha had to earn his place in the starting XI under Carrick, even though he was helped by Patrick Dorgu’s serious injury.
However, since he was given that chance, he has played like someone who’s determined not to lose that place and reward Carrick for the trust shown in him.
There have been goals against Fulham and Arsenal, for example, but the biggest feather in his cap might just be the Everton game.
He didn’t score against The Toffees, but United wouldn’t have won that game without him.
On the ball, he was a nuisance, and his pass to Bryan Mbeumo set in motion the move that ended with Benjamin Sesko sweeping home the winner.
Better yet was his work off the ball as he ran relentlessly to close down spaces, launch himself into duels, and tracked back with a manic work-rate in his own third.
When United wanted to hold on to their slender lead, Cunha brought out his bag of tricks as he won fouls, riled up the opposition, and showed the kind of good “nasty” that all winning teams have.
Marcus Rashford rarely looked fully engaged
Rashford is undoubtedly a more prolific player in terms of raw stats, and he’s showing as much on loan at Barcelona this year.
Matheus Cunha has been compared to Dwight Yorke – Do you see it?
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“Cunha’s got that ability, we were very fortunate to play with Yorkie, he could drop back, play in behind, almost like a 10 role.
“Cunha’s ability in terms of his shooting from outside the box, he’s got the pass, he can run in behind. It’s good to see him back.”
Quinton Fortune
However, there’s a difference between a player who looks great when the team is playing well and a player who makes the team great.
Rashford increasingly looks like the former because when United needed leaders to step up and drag them out of trouble, Rashford rarely looked fully engaged.
Cunha, in contrast, thrives in adversity and relishes the challenge of fighting from underneath, a scenario that often left Man Utd fans wanting more from Rashford.
Goals and assists won’t always flow, but working hard, running relentlessly, leading from the front, and thriving in adversity are mentality intangibles that separate the good from the great.
Cunha showed against Everton that he’s great, even if Rashford will end the season with more goals.
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