Michael Owen has tried his best to take the gloss off Matheus Cunha's fine start to life at Manchester United. The Brazilian attacker looks the real deal following his arrival from Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this summer.
The 26-year-old was excellent in United's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal and deserved a goal on his competitive debut. He was bright throughout, causing Ben White all sorts of problems on the left flank while linking up with Bryan Mbeumo with aplomb.
Cunha joined the Red Devils after a stellar season at Wolves where he helped Vitor Pereira's men avoid the drop. But Owen somehow thinks that the player's attitude could be an issue and made an incorrect claim.
Michael Owen's false claim over Matheus Cunha makes him look foolish
Owen has made it perfectly clear that he's a Liverpool supporter since hanging up his boots in 2013. This is despite winning his only Premier League title while at United.
The former England striker, who was sent off once during his career, is certainly no statitician. He assessed Cunha's debut and arrival at Old Trafford by coming out with complete waffle:
"My only question mark is his attitude. He gets sent off a lot, he waves his arms a lot, and you’ve already got someone like that in Bruno Fernandes. Maybe being at United, being at a huge club like that, might put some manners on him.”
🚨🗣️ | Michael Owen on Matheus Cunha:
— (fan) Frank 🧠🇵🇹 (@AmorimEra_) August 20, 2025
"My only question mark is his attitude. He gets sent off a lot, he waves his arms a lot, and you’ve already got someone like that in Bruno Fernandes.”
“Maybe being at United, being at a huge club like that, might put some manners on him.” pic.twitter.com/K4jLRixX2p
Cunha, like Owen, has been sent off once during his professional career, having been handed his marching orders in extra time of an FA Cup fifth-round loss to Bournemouth last season. That was the first and only red card he's received for both club and country.
The Brazil international is a passionate character who does wear his heart on his sleeve but that doesn't mean his professionalism should be questioned. There is also this weird stance over players waving their arms around a lot.
Owen doesn't have a halo around his head as you could argue the Englishman was a cheat. He even admitted to diving twice during his career, both against Argentina in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.
Cunha was the star of the show on his Man United debut
There was a section of United's fanbase who were wary of Cunha ahead of the season-opener against Arsenal. He was the first signing made this summer and fared well early on in pre-season.
The former Atletico Madrid forward faded in the latter stages of the summer series tour in the United States. Some had a feeling he might take time to click into gear but that wasn't the case.
Cunha didn't just catch the eye against the Gunners and force White off after running the English right-back ragged. He had the joint most successful take-ons (4) and the joint most shots on target (3) which speaks volumes of just how much of a threat he will be under Ruben Amorim.
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