Matheus Cunha: Manchester United forward reveals surprise after winning goal at Arsenal – and crowns team-mate ‘player of the year’

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Manchester United's Matheus Cunha has revealed that what surprised him after scoring the winning goal against Arsenal in a wide-ranging interview with TNT Sports.

‘Didn’t realise I was so far from goal’ – Cunha analyses sublime winner against Arsenal

Video credit: TNT Sports

The Brazil international was speaking to The Breakdown on TNT Sports in an interview with former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves.

The Premier League club's next match comes on Monday against Brentford as they look to secure UEFA Champions League football for next season.

Much of the club’s resurgence up the table in 2026 is due to interim manager Michael Carrick replacing the struggling Ruben Amorim, but the club’s skipper, Fernandes, has once again been in spectacular form.

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The Brazilian forward only joined United in the summer, while Fernandes has been at Old Trafford since 2020, racking up more than 300 appearances and 100 goals.

Captain Fernandes has eight of those goals already this season, as well as 18 assists. Cunha has eight and two respectively, but has improved steadily over this debut campaign.

Asked about the Portugal international, the Brazilian said he was the kind of exceptional player who makes a difference.

"The Premier League is very tight, it is very close, it is very intense," he said. "So, when you have this space, then you need to attack - with and without the ball.

"So I think to have unbelievable players around you... Bruno is the biggest example, of course. For me, he is the player of the year.

"But it is like I said before, to adapt in these kind of details, they will give you better feedback to talk, to understand. Like I came here this season, and I know how the club was before.

"And to come here, I prefer to play in a different position, but I am 100% ready to adapt my game to help the team.

‘He’s the Player of the Year’ – Cunha tips Fernandes for Premier League award

Video credit: TNT Sports

"You need to adapt your game for team-mates also, and Bruno is this kind of guy, you know, who can [be in] the space when no one else can, so sometimes you only need to run in.

"We speak so much in training. It is like, 'how can we improve together, how can we adapt, be a bit closer, have this chance in games?'. We feel happy, because it is coming from training into the games."

While Fernandes has made his name with a string of important interventions for United over the years, Cunha’s highlight in a red shirt might be his late winner for the club against Arsenal in their 3-2 win at the Emirates Stadium in January.

The attacking player admitted that there was a little good fortune involved in that he did not realise his strike from outside the penalty box was quite so far away.

"I didn’t realise I was so far from the goal,” he conceded. "Everyone came to me like ‘mate, unbelievable goal, so far [away].’ I say, ‘no guys, I feel like I am in the zone'.

"You can see in my movement, I feel like I am close to the goal. If I put the ball there, maybe it would be a good ball, I didn’t feel like I was so far, and then when I saw the video I was like, 'wow'.

"Maybe if I saw the video before, I would not shoot like this."

Highlights: Man Utd open up TEN-point gap to Chelsea after Cunha winner

Video credit: TNT Sports

Cunha admits he 'didn't like' football

Cunha was quizzed about his years growing up. Like many of the best Brazilian players, his close control and technique was forged by playing futsal, where the ball is much smaller, and the pitch much smaller.

It has been credited with improving the touch of Brazilian players who move over to football, and perhaps surprisingly, Cunha said he was indifferent to the sport compared to futsal.

He explained: "It's always a pleasure. When I'm a grown-up, futsal is something I can always do. 100%. It's easier for me to adapt in small spaces, and then I bring that kind of style to normal football.

"When you're in school, you have games when you play [11 v 11], but I didn't like it. The coach called me to play, but I didn't like it, to be honest.

"But at 13, I thought I needed to do a swap. For me, it was different because my father played futsal. He'd always take me to games."

'Ronaldinho is my idol' - Cunha remembers Brazilian great

The 26-year-old said that when he was growing up, he idolised both Ronaldinho and Neymar, and he even earned the nickname 'Neymarzinho', meaning ”little Neymar".

He told Hargreaves: "100% Ronaldinho is my idol. I tried to explain this to other people, Ronaldinho was my idol when I started to watch football.

"But starting to grow up, and then understand more, football was Neymar time. Both were my No. 10 magical guys.

"In Brazil, when he [Neymar] started to play, every single kid would try to cut their hair like him.

"My school guys kind of called me Neymarzinho, but it was such a short time in my life, and I appreciate it a lot when the guys do that."

‘They were my magical guys’ – Cunha names Brazilian icons who inspired him

Video credit: TNT Sports

Cunha compared that vintage of football to the current game, and he felt that what is missed is a player that can keep the ball under pressure and give his team-mates respite.

He said: "I feel like in modern football, we miss the details like that, give me the ball, I will hold, because everything is very fast, very strong, you need to pass the ball, finish, go back, switch the side and to have this kind of calm and being in control when you have the ball.

"I feel can give a lot of [time to] breathe to your team."

Stream the Premier League, men’s and women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

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