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Matheus Cunha has said that Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) should have had a late penalty in their 1-0 loss to Manchester United on Monday (August 14).
The Red Devils came up against a resilient Wolves side at Old Trafford in their Premier League opener. Gary O'Neil's men managed 23 shots compared to the hosts' 15 and had an xG (expected goals) of 2.27, which was better than the hosts' 1.46.
Cunha was the star of the show for the visitors in the first half. He went on an unstoppable run through Manchester United's midfield to create a great goal-scoring chance for Pablo Sarabia.
The Spaniard's effort was just wide of the mark, though. Cunha himself skewed a great chance seven minutes later when his shot missed the target by mere inches. He then hit the post five minutes into the second half.
The most decisive moment for Wolves came in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Andre Onana clattered into Sasa Kalajdzic inside the box. He missed the ball and seemingly fouled the player, but referee Simon Hooper waved play on.
VAR checked the incident but did not overturn the on-field decision. After the game, Cunha told BBC Sport:
"Upset is the word. We worked a lot. We need to keep improving. We mixed the new ideas and the old ideas. I'm a little upset with that result... It's a very hard decision. For me it's a penalty but you need to respect."
Cunha, whose loan move from Atletico Madrid was made permanent for €50 million this summer, ended the game with five shots and one key pass. He also completed both dribbles he attempted.
Raphael Varane 'very happy' after scoring Manchester United's winner against Wolves
Raphael Varane proved to be the difference for Manchester United against Wolves.
The former Real Madrid centre-back's decision to stay up after a corner paid off when he was on hand to nod in an open-play cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka. He said:
"Very happy. It was a tough game against a very good team. It’s a good start to the season, three points, clean sheet..
"The team spirit is already good, but we want to improve. We want to be tough and hard to beat. We have to be connected on the pitch and aggressive. We did well. We can improve with the ball, more control, more calm."
Varane, 30, was equally impressive at the back and kept things solid for most parts of the game. He ended the game with seven clearances, five recoveries and one block while completing 89% of his 35 attempted passes.
The Frenchman is expected to continue partnering Lisandro Martinez in Manchester United's central defence this season.
