Matheus Cunha came off the bench to put Manchester United ahead against Arsenal but his celebration landed him in hot water after Sky Sports were forced to apologise
Josh Holland and Neil Docking
18:54, 25 Jan 2026Updated 18:58, 25 Jan 2026
Matheus Cunha celebrated his goal
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Matheus Cunha in the aftermath of his goal(Image: Sky Sports. )
Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha could be facing a potential suspension following his celebration after netting his side's third goal in their stunning 3-2 triumph over Arsenal in the Premier League.
Cunha entered the match as a substitute to fire Michael Carrick's men back into the lead for the second time at the Emirates Stadium. Following Mikel Merino's equaliser that made it 2-2, Cunha bent the ball into the bottom corner following excellent work from Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo to clinch the game 3-2.
As he sprinted towards the away supporters in the corner, Cunha seized the camera and yelled something into the lens. Whilst it remains unclear what the Brazilian said, it seemed to contain profanity.
Matheus Cunha celebrates scoring for Manchester United against Arsenal
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Matheus Cunha celebrates scoring for Manchester United against Arsenal(Image: Sky Sports)
Sky Sports commentator Peter Drury was compelled to issue an apology for Cunha's foul-mouthed celebration. "If you heard some bad language in among the celebrations, for that we apologise," he stated.
Under The Football Association (FA) regulations, "offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures" will lead to a player receiving a red card.
The rules further state: "while a referee might not always hear a player swear in the heat of the moment, the FA has the power to take retroactive disciplinary action if the incident is caught on camera and broadcast to a wide audience.", reports the Manchester Evening News.
Matheus Cunha
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Matheus Cunha won the game with a wonderstrike(Image: )
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"The FA views swearing directly into a lens as a "clear and deliberate" act of misconduct that brings the game into disrepute."
In 2011, Wayne Rooney faced a two-match suspension after he was caught swearing on camera at West Ham United. The incident occurred during a 4-2 victory at Upton Park, leading to the Football Association imposing a significant penalty.
In addition to a two-match ban, Rooney was charged with "use of offensive, insulting and/or abusive language" following his hat-trick celebration in front of the away end.