Manchester United suffered defeat against Arsenal on the opening weekend but there were plenty of promising signs.
Ruben Amorim can take positives from Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, especially from his new additions to the squad.
Bryan Mbeumo shone on his debut after lining up on the right of United’s attack. He was a constant threat up against Riccardo Calafiori and was unlucky not to score past a resilient David Raya.
With Benjamin Sesko starting on the bench, Amorim chose to start £62.5m signing Matheus Cunha up front in his 3-4-2-1 formation.
Cunha often rotated with Mason Mount and Mbeumo, regularly finding himself in pockets of space on the left and in the middle of the pitch.
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Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Matheus Cunha’s elite dribbling is better than Alejandro Garnacho
Cunha wowed United fans with his performance against Arsenal, with our new No.10 putting on an impressive performance at the Theatre of Dreams.
After the full-time whistle, Bruno Fernandes praised Cunha but also suggested that the Brazilian playmaker has even more to give.
As per SofaScore, Cunha’s stats against Arsenal are mightily impressive, especially those focused on his ability on the ball.
Matheus Cunha sofascore
Matheus Cunha sofascore
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Cunha boasted a 88% passing accuracy, including one key pass, and his heat map proves he was impactful across the entire attacking third.
But one key stat is Cunha’s dribbling – he completed four of his six dribbles against Arsenal for a completion rate of 66%.
Matheus Cunha is a huge upgrade on Alejandro Garnacho
When Sesko settles in, Cunha is expected to nail down a starting spot on the left of United’s attacking front three – a position owned by Alejandro Garnacho last season.
But with Garnacho close to joining Chelsea this summer, he was unsurprisingly left out of the matchday squad against Arsenal. It’s all but confirmed that he has played his last ever game for United.
Last season, Garnacho was the Premier League’s worst dribbler with a success rate as low as 21% during times in the 2024/25 campaign.
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The young winger was often frustrating in one-on-one situations, while Cunha settled in brilliantly and wasted no time showcasing his elite ball-carrying.
While Garnacho ranks at the very bottom of Premier League dribblers, Cunha is one of the best in the division and United fans were treated to his incredible talent against Arsenal. Promising signs.