Matheus Cunha is a sensational footballer. The Brazilian has sprinkled his talents on the pitch many times this term but there’s one embarrassing trait that he needs to cut out of his game.
Cunha is currently serving a four-match ban, seeing his initial three-match suspension extended by the FA after lashing out at Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez in the FA Cup.
It was a shame to see the embarrassing side of his game rear its ugly head as Cunha scored a stunner at the Vitality Stadium before being sent off.
The 25-year-old is often let down by his poor mentality when something he doesn’t like happens on the pitch, with Cunha serving a one-match ban earlier on in the campaign for his actions at full-time against Ipswich.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the only trait that lets the Brazilian down, as he also tops one concerning Premier League stat.
Photo by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Matheus Cunha walks the most of any Premier League player in 2024/25
For all of the talent and skill at his disposal, there is one side to his game that often lets him down, and that is his effort out of possession.
In the defeat to Arsenal in January, Lee Naylor criticised Cunha’s work rate, sensing he looked disinterested in the game and his heart wasn’t in it.
Admittedly, this was during a time when speculation surrounding his future was rife but it isn’t the only instance he’s been pulled up on it.
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Liam Keen has slammed Cunha for walking too much in games, and ironically, the Brazilian international walks the most of any player in the Premier League, according to Opta Analyst.
Name % of time spent walking
Matheus Cunha 77.6%
Virgil van Dijk 76.5%
Cristian Romero 75.5%
Adama Traore 75.1%
Ezri Konsa 74.2%
While the Wolves star tops the list with a figure of 77.6%, former player Adama Traore also makes the top five, walking for 75.1% of his minutes in 2024/25.
Vitor Pereira has already challenged Cunha to improve off the ball
Realistically, it isn’t a good look topping the charts for a statistic that suggests a player is more lazy than someone else.
But, Cunha does the talking with the ball at his feet, scoring 15 goals in all competitions this term while laying on four assists.
To reach the next level, perhaps the former Atletico Madrid star can increase his work ethic and track back for his team.
However, some of the best players ever, such as Lionel Messi have never been known for their work off the ball and are instead remembered for their incredible skill.
That being said, Pereira has already warned Cunha about his work rate, urging him to improve in that department.
Speaking back in January 2025, Pereira said: “He gives us the creativity, he is unpredictable. He can do magic on the pitch. My conversation with Cunha is that to be a top-level player, he must be committed in every moment of the game. If we lose the ball, he must run and get the ball again.”
There have been signs of his effort levels improving since then, and that will be music to the ears of clubs showing an interest.