Michael Owen has spotlighted how much Manchester United missed the influence of Matheus Cunha in Monday’s 1-0 Premier League defeat to Everton at Old Trafford.
Matheus Cunha has netted only once in 11 matches across all competitions for Manchester United since his sensational summer transfer from Wolves.
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However, the 26-year-old Brazilian forward has been deeply influential for the Red Devils in the 2025-26 campaign in the left-sided No 10 role under Ruben Amorim.
Despite lacking the goalscoring returns of his Wolves form in the 2024-25 season, Cunha’s absence was felt on Monday evening in United’s loss to 10-man Everton.
Speaking ahead of United’s encounter with Everton, Ruben Amorim confirmed that the former Wolves ace would miss the match at Old Trafford due to injury.
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Matheus Cunha during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2025 in London, England.
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Michael Owen explains what separates Matheus Cunha from Man Utd striker Joshua Zirkzee after the Everton match
According to Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, Matheus Cunha suffered a knock in training and he made the call not to risk playing the Brazil international.
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Cunha’s absence for United meant that Amorim had to change up his attacking line-up, with striker Benjamin Sesko also currently sidelined due to a knee injury.
Joshua Zirkzee received a rare start for United on Monday and the 24-year-old Dutch forward failed to catch Michael Owen’s eye in the same way that Cunha does.
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“I can’t watch him [Zirkzee] and get excited, I must admit,” Owen told Premier League Productions, as per the Metro.
“Cunha missing today was a big blow. He [Zirkzee] was the closest to scoring for Man Utd, but they are almost resorting to playing like this with hopeful crosses because he’s in there.
“If you have Cunha playing, a different profile of player, you probably don’t go knocking crosses in all game.”
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Michael Owen’s telling reaction to Joshua Zirkzee’s Man Utd performance against Everton at Old Trafford
Joshua Zirkzee had not started a single match for United in the 2025-26 Premier League season until Monday’s defeat to 10-man Everton at Old Trafford.
The Netherlands international, who has been linked with a 2026 January exit from the club, played the full 90 minutes against Everton and failed to score.
United players threw the kitchen sink at Zirkzee with an abundance of crosses, with the Dutch forward being denied scoring a header by Everton’s Jordan Pickford.
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Owen felt that United were showing a clear sign of “desperation” with how the players lofted the ball into Zirkzee on multiple occasions in pursuit of an equaliser.
“It’s not how Manchester United want to play and I always think if you start lumping the ball, it becomes desperation,” he added.
“One or two landed on Zirkzee’s head, but the way Man Utd are playing prior to tonight, it’s not the right profile of player, he doesn’t excite me at all.”
United are now 10th in the Premier League table and David Moyes’ men have climbed to 11th place and are level on points with the Red Devils.