Matheus Cunha expressed his excitement after scoring his first goal for Manchester United, a milestone that had been weighing on his mind since his summer transfer.
The 26-year-old made the switch to Old Trafford for £62.5 million ($84 million) from Wolves, where he netted 17 goals across all competitions last season, matching the record for the most goals by a Brazilian in a Premier League campaign with 15 goals.
Although Cunha has shown promise in his early appearances for United, it wasn’t until his ninth match that he finally scored, finding the net with a beautifully placed shot from the edge of the box in Saturday’s 4-2 victory over Brighton.
“Yes, finally,” the delighted Brazil national told Premier League Productions. “I worked so hard for this. I’m incredibly happy.”
“But I want to contribute more, and now that I’ve scored, it’s all about winning and feeling good.”
When questioned about whether the lack of goals had been a concern, he replied: “Absolutely … when you’re playing as a forward, scoring is crucial.”
“I aim to have more influence in the game. Last time I mentioned this, but if my role is to help the team win, I’ll be content with that too.”
“With this goal, I can feel the support from everyone. My teammates jokingly said, ‘Wow, you can score!’ It’s nice to have that encouragement, and I’m thrilled to be part of this team.”
Cunha opened the scoring against Brighton, with his compatriot Casemiro adding a deflected goal before summer recruit Bryan Mbeumo secured another with a powerful strike.
A free-kick from Danny Welbeck and a late header by Charalampos Kostoulas made for a tense conclusion at Old Trafford, but Mbeumo’s second goal of the day ensured a third consecutive win for Ruben Amorim’s squad.
“Everyone has complete faith in Amorim,” Cunha stated. “He motivates us constantly.”
“He’s always so tense until we start winning, but he gets better each day. He deserves this success; Manchester United deserves it too.”
“This is the standard that the club should aim for. I’m really happy to be part of it. It’s a fantastic day that I will always remember.”
Manchester United will continue their Premier League campaign with an away game against Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest next weekend, while Brighton will host Leeds after competing against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
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Seagulls manager Fabian Hurzeler commented: “United applied a man-to-man press, so we had to execute the small elements well, and we didn’t perform at our best.”
“Ultimately, it comes down to execution, and ours wasn’t precise. We need to focus in training and take every pass and touch seriously. Improvement is necessary.”
“The players showed good character, personality, and belief, never giving up, but we made some avoidable mistakes.”