Matheus Cunha details moment of magic that sealed Man United’s epic win vs. Arsenal | OneFootball

Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha has opened up on his fantastic strike, which secured the club’s thrilling victory against Arsenal.

Cunha bags win vs. Arsenal

Michael Carrick made it two wins in as many games following Sunday’s 3-2 beating of Arsenal at the Emirates.

United headed into the game with confidence, having got the better of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City a week earlier. But the Red Devils were forced to survive an early onslaught as Arsenal dominated possession and penned them back inside their own half.

Arsenal deservedly took the lead in the 29th minute via a Lisandro Martinez own goal, but Bryan Mbeumo drew United level when he capitalised on a big mistake at the back by Martin Zubimendi.

United flew out of the blocks after the break and went ahead, thanks to a thunderous Patrick Dorgu effort that crashed in off the crossbar.

Mikel Merino thought he had rescued a point for Arsenal after he prodded home from a corner, but Cunha delivered the final, decisive blow.

The Brazilian replaced Mbeumo and announced himself in style, whipping an exquisite, arcing shot past a fully-stretched David Raya.

Carrick reserved special praise for Cunha’s response to adversity, commending the forward’s positive attitude and commitment to the team after being left out of the starting lineup.

Cunha spoke to ESPN Brazil and detailed what was going through his mind for the goal. He also shared his verdict on Casemiro, following the midfielder’s announcement that he will be leaving United at the end of the season.

Cunha’s remarks

Cunha said, “When I control the ball, I see the defence moving back a little, and that gives me more space to control it. I see Gabriel (Magalhães) coming right away, and I know how good Gabriel is. We play together on the national team, so I knew he would try everything to block the shot, so the shot had to be perfect.”

“And I think that shot is the one I like to do the most. So I have a few goals from it, and I’m sure that when I saw that opportunity, I had a lot of confidence in hitting the goal in that little space there, knowing that it would be very difficult for Raya, because he was already blocking all the space.”

He added, “In a matter of seconds, all of that goes through your head.”

On Casemiro, Cunha told the news outlet, “I only have incredible things to say about Casemiro. Since I arrived, he has shown himself to be, man… He’s my captain of captains in the national team, so I’ve known about his leadership for quite some time.”

“But this side of him as a teammate, as a friend, showing someone who’s just arriving the ropes, what’s good, what’s not so good about the club.”

“But, without a doubt, with all the history he has, having endured the process and shown that he will know how to get through it, come back and turn things around, shows how great he is and why he has achieved so much in his career.”

“We just have to take him as an example, try to do our best and, as I said, understand that we are at the highest level and that these things happen. And we will move forward, which is the most important thing.”

Cunha expressed optimism about being included in Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for the 2026 World Cup and enjoying a far better tournament than the last one.

Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images

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