Michael Carrick provided expert analysis on Matheus Cunha’s overall impact for Manchester United after the Crystal Palace match at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Matheus Cunha climbed back into the Manchester United starting XI under interim boss Michael Carrick after Patrick Dorgu picked up an injury in late January.
The 26-year-old Brazilian forward has been a key part of Carrick’s tactical set-up at Man Utd, with captain Bruno Fernandes playing centrally in the No 10 role again.
Cunha played the full 90 minutes of United’s 2-1 Premier League win over Crystal Palace and he was a lively presence at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
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Bruno Fernandes celebrates with Noussair Mazraoui and Matheus Cunha during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in 2026 in Manchester, England.
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Why Michael Carrick thinks Matheus Cunha was an important part of Man Utd’s attacking balance against Crystal Palace
Matheus Cunha won the all-important penalty that sparked Manchester United’s comeback performance against Crystal Palace in the second half at the weekend.
Bruno Fernandes played the ball through to United teammate Cunha and Maxence Lacroix brought the latter down inside the Palace box with a reckless challenge.
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Maxence Lacroix, who scored the opener for Palace in the first half, was sent off for his tackle on Cunha and Fernandes subsequently netted Man Utd’s equaliser.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Michael Carrick wasted no time in singling out Cunha’s role for Man Utd in their latest Premier League encounter.
“I think it’s about getting the balance about when to play inside and when to play outside, when to make runs in behind,” he said, as per Manchester United’s official website.
“Matheus thinks a lot about the game; he’s really good in terms of wanting to know certain things.”
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Manchester United's Portuguese midfielder #08 Bruno Fernandes (L) congratulates Manchester United's Slovenian striker #30 Benjamin Sesko
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Michael Carrick explains why Man Utd’s one-on-one encounters are so critical for a player like Matheus Cunha
Cunha has impressed in his debut season at Old Trafford since last summer’s move from Wolves and Carrick broke down the importance of the Brazilian’s playing style.
“He’s conscious of where the space is and knows when to attack certain spaces,” Carrick added.
“Sometimes it’s wide. I thought particularly [in the] second half, at times, he looked dangerous going 1v1.
“And then he’s inside the pitch a bit more to create the moment for the penalty.”
Cunha has made 27 appearances across all competitions for Man Utd in the 2025-26 campaign and the Brazil international has netted six times and picked up two assists.
The former Wolves ace was the first major signing that Ineos made in the 2025 summer transfer window for former Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim.
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