Manchester United suffered their first defeat of 2026 by losing to Newcastle United, but the finger should not be pointed at Matheus Cunha.
Just as Michael Carrick was hoping for another late winner from his side, a curling effort from William Osula means Manchester United lost 2-1 to Newcastle United.
United travelled to Tyneside unbeaten in 2026, but that run has come to a sudden halt. Casemiro scored United’s equaliser, but the Red Devils were unable to find a second goal despite having the numerical advantage against 10-man Newcastle.
Matheus Cunha is full of confidence and on a good run of form, and he put in another impressive display at St James’ Park despite United’s disappointing overall performance.
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Matheus Cunha stood out in disappointing Man Utd display
Carrick will be frustrated with United’s display, but there is a reason he left Cunha on the pitch until the full-time whistle at St James’ Park.
As per SofaScore, Cunha was heavily involved in the match with 67 touches of the ball and 24 passes completed.
The Brazilian forward completed one key pass, four dribbles and carried the ball for a total of 219 metres.
Up against Kieran Trippier, Cunha had the better of the Newcastle defender all evening long. He completed four take-ons in the first half alone, which was more than every other player on the pitch combined.
Incredibly, Cunha won a staggering 17 duels (10 ground, seven aerial) up against Trippier. The 26-year-old can consider himself unlucky to be on the losing side.
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Michael Carrick’s tactic for Matheus Cunha vs Newcastle
From very early on against Newcastle it was clear that Carrick had instructed goalkeeper Senne Lammens to look for long passes to Cunha.
Up against Trippier, the Brazilian had a physical advantage over his opponent and he made it count.
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United continued to fire long passes to Cunha, and his seven successful aerial duels proves that it was a successful strategy.
The one area where Cunha will be frustrated is with his finishing. He attempted three shots against Newcastle, with only one on target.
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