Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha was outstanding on his debut for the club, but was left wanting more.
Matheus Cunha showed flashes of brilliance during his Manchester United debut, posing a constant threat for the Arsenal defence.
One highlight came when he danced through the Arsenal midfield in the first half and burst clear on goal before his shot was saved by David Raya, with the Gunners defence bearing down on him.
A moment of controversy came when Cunha went down inside the box during the second half at the Stretford End.
Matheus Cunha is challenged for the ball by William Saliba, on the ground
Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Verdict on Matheus Cunha incident
Manchester United fans inside the stadium looked to referee Simon Hooper when Matheus Cunha went to ground during a frenetic sequence.
Cunha was attempting to score when he was challenged by William Saliba, and attempted to get the loose ball after doing so.
United fans on social media appealed, with one labelling it a ‘clear penalty’, while slow motion replays made the challenge look worse.
That is a clear penalty against William Saliba on Matheus Cunha. He didn't get the ball & goes right through him. VAR didn't even check it but you can see it on the replay.
What are we doing, football? pic.twitter.com/Wj3fnNlP6k
— Adam (@AdamJoseph____) August 17, 2025
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United In Focus spoke to former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg and asked him about the incident.
He was adamant that referee Simon Hooper was correct not to award a spot-kick, or send the decision for a further VAR review.
Clattenburg said: “This is a normal challenge for the ball,” before adding “Matheus Cunha does not even appeal for a penalty.”
The former referee did cast doubt over Arsenal’s goal, acknowledging that both goalkeeper Altay Bayindir and midfielder Mason Mount were ‘impeded’ by Gunners players.
Riccardo Calafiori scored from close range after Bayindir failed to clear the corner, and Arsenal held on for a 1-0 victory.
Manchester United have to hold on to positives, rather than decisions
Matheus Cunha’s lively performance earned lots of praise from pundits and fans alike, even during the defeat.
The match-up against a resilient Arsenal side came a little soon for this developing Manchester United team, who will benefit from the intensity of this fixture.
United face Fulham up next and then Burnley, and need to learn to be ruthless.
Penalty decisions and wrong calls take less significance when you have players who can score regularly and win games by healthy margins.
With 22 shots at goal against Arsenal, we saw a team committed to playing attacking football, and there should be plenty of goals to look forward to this season.