Ben Foster’s verdict on Matheus Cunha couldn’t be clearer after the Manchester United ace netted the winner against Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday evening.
Matheus Cunha has lost his place in the Manchester United starting XI under Michael Carrick after being a regular starter under Ruben Amorim in the 2025-26 season.
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However, the 26-year-old Brazilian forward is continuing to fight for his place in the starting XI and Cunha has had a major impact in Michael Carrick’s first two matches.
Cunha climbed off the bench in Man Utd’s 2-0 win over Manchester City and the former Wolves ace set up Patrick Dorgu in the second half at Old Trafford.
Following on from Man Utd’s sensational result over Manchester City, Cunha’s second-half cameo against Arsenal would be even more impactful at the weekend.
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Matheus Cunha during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in 2026 in London, England.
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Ben Foster’s reaction to Matheus Cunha’s Man Utd winner in the Premier League clash against Arsenal
Michael Carrick withdrew Bryan Mbeumo in the second half and turned to Matheus Cunha in Manchester United’s stunning 3-2 win over Arsenal at the Emirates.
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Mikel Merino netted in the 84th minute to pull the Gunners level at 2-2 before Cunha restored United’s lead over Arsenal only three minutes later with a superb finish.
Matheus Cunha had Man Utd dancing at The Emirates again 🕺
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Speaking on his podcast, Ben Foster was in complete awe at how Cunha took advantage of the space around him before scoring with his stunning strike.
He said on Fozcast: “You really can’t. I mean, the winning goal, Cunha, first of all, what a strike, by the way.
“Unbelievable. As soon as he turns and he gets into that space, I’m thinking, ‘Oh, mate, this is a problem here. This is an absolute problem.’
“But Man United didn’t have many chances.”
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Ben Foster on the ‘phenomenal’ Matheus Cunha detail that stood out about the Man Utd ace against Arsenal
David Raya stood little chance of denying the whipping bend that Cunha had placed on his strike, with the ball landing in the bottom right corner of the Arsenal net.
Foster was blown away by the “adductor power” of the Brazil international and he felt that Cunha’s winner showed how “phenomenal” his trait is on the pitch.
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“They didn’t. Raya didn’t have to make many saves or anything like that,” he continued.
“But when you’ve got top-quality players on the ball, they can put the ball in the back of the net, yeah?
“And Cunha, when he’s got that space to exploit and he opens up and he’s able to get his head up, have a look, open into space, get it out onto his right foot and really…
“The way he whips that ball at speed, the way he whips it, the way he opens that groin up, right? His, like, adductor power is phenomenal.”
Cunha has netted five times and registered two assists in 22 matches across all competitions for Man Utd since his blockbuster move from Wolves last summer.
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