Rio Ferdinand blown away by 'unpredictable' Man United star despite Arsenal loss

Rio Ferdinand joked that Ben White might have pulled a hamstring trying to deal with a Manchester United star in the Reds' 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal. It was a frustrating result for Ruben Amorim's men as they were much the better side.

Riccardo Calafiori netted the game's only goal after some poor goalkeeping from Altay Bayindir from a Declan Rice corner. But United were impressive aside from the goal they conceded and Amorim's new look attack particularly caught the eye.

Ferdinand was wowed by Matheus Cunha who lit up Old Trafford on several occasions with his Brazilian flair. The Red Devils icon thinks he could prove to be a gamechanging signing.

'Cold' Matheus Cunha leaves Ferdinand in awe

Cunha was one of United's standout performers, a constant threat not only on the left but also cutting inside. He was particularly impressive in the second half, showcasing his trickery including a remarkable touch after Bayindir played the ball out.

Ferdinand waxed lyrical about the Reds' new number 10 on his 'Rio Ferdinand Presents' podcast:

"Cunha had me a couple of times on my sofa (shocked). Going rah, and I'm texting my mate 'did you see what he's just done there'? I didn't know he was that quick. I swear Ben White might've pulled a hammy chasing him from the halfway line."

Cunha came close to scoring when he drove forward in the first half while linking up with fellow new signing Bryan Mbeumo. He gave White a torrid time and even displayed his confidence by contesting the English defender getting medical attention while the likes of Martin Odegaard tried pushing him away.

Ferdinand added:

"You know what I love about him, and I think he'll be hard to play against for a lot of defenders because he's unpredictable. He's very unpredictable, he can play off both feet, he can go both ways, he's a bit of an elusive, very nice balance about him, a very good mover."

Cunha has already displayed goalscoring prowess in the top-flight, netting 15 goals in 33 games last season for Wolves. This bodes well for United and Ferdinand thinks he could be a game-changing signing:

"I want to see him in front of goal when the chances start dropping, is he gonna have that cold ice running through his veins. He's shown he can score in the Premier League. He's one of those players that if things aren't going well that he'll be the unpredictable one to go and unlock it."

The Brazil international was bright throughout the defeat to Arsenal and enthused fans who have dealt with average wingers over the years. If his competitive debut is anything to go by he may well be one of the Premier League's best signings of the season.

Cunha: We deserved so much more

Cunha rued United's defeat to Arsenal by insisting that Amorim's troops should have taken something from the game. He took to Instagram after the season-opening loss:

"We deserved so much more! What an honor to debut in this environment. We will continue to improve. It’s just the beginning!"

Mbeumo replied in the comments and told him "for sure bro". It feels as though INEOS have well and truly got their recruitment right this summer, signing two forwards who know the Premier League and aren't afraid to throw themselves about while possessing slick ability on the ball.

The attacking duo will be relishing trying to help United bounce back against Fulham next Sunday (August 24). A trip to Craven Cottage could be the game that gets the ball rolling for Amorim's Reds.

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