Manchester United's £62.5 million new signing has yet to score or assist but still plays a significant role! He may be benched due to Mount, but he is definitely not a flop.

When Matheus Cunha joined Manchester United as the first signing of the summer window for £62.5 million, if fans expected him to replicate his Wolves form of 15 goals and 6 assists, he has clearly not met those expectations. After 8 rounds, the 26-year-old Brazilian forward still has zero goals and zero assists. Sometimes, he even loses out to Mason Mount in the battle for the starting lineup. However, the former "Wolves king" still serves a purpose. In the Merseyside derby against Liverpool, Cunha did not register a goal or assist but contributed, especially in maintaining the scoreline towards the end.

Joining the troubled Manchester United this summer, Cunha essentially chose to face challenges head-on. United CEO Omar Berrada described him as a Cantona-style signing. This is more hype than reality; Cunha will never reach the legendary French "King's" status at the Red Devils, nor do fans expect him to. Cantona laid the foundation for United's Premier League dominance, mentoring the Class of '92, and won 4 league titles in 5 years—an era that cannot be replicated.

But Cunha has his own qualities that are useful for the current Manchester United. In the derby against Liverpool, Amrabat decided against using a traditional striker, instead deploying Cunha, Mount, and Mbemo as a fluid front three.

This tactical change had a significant impact. Cunha frequently dropped deep to help Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro control the midfield, pulling Liverpool defenders out of position and creating space for Mbemo on the flanks.

After the match, Schlot criticized United's long-ball style, expecting a plan involving Szeszko as a target man, but Amrabat opted to forgo the first ball and focus on winning second balls. "Sometimes, the nature of the game changes our plans. Cunha plays centrally, unlike Benjamin (Szeszko), making it easier for center-backs to control a traditional striker. But this setup only looks smart if we win; if we lose, the coach's decisions are questioned," Amrabat said after the 2-1 victory.

In his 8 games for Manchester United, Cunha has yet to score or assist, sometimes playing too individually. However, his traits were crucial against Liverpool, helping the Red Devils maintain possession. He can receive the ball in tight spaces, control it, and pass simply to teammates.

Although he often prefers to take on opponents alone and shoot after dribbling, Cunha remains composed and understands clearly when to dribble, when to engage in duels, and when to pass. He is also skilled at intelligent movement, creating space for the team or earning set pieces, helping control the game's rhythm.

Though primarily right-footed, Cunha is balanced on both feet with stable technique, able to take on defenders on the wings or combine centrally. In the final 30 minutes, he becomes a key figure in United’s ball control, easing pressure on the team.

Manchester United goalkeeper Sena Ramens, following the coaching staff’s instructions, usually opts for long passes, which aren’t always aimed at Cunha. Yet the Brazilian’s excellent reactions often allow him to win second balls, where he uses his ball protection skills to help United progress.

After Gakpo equalized for Liverpool, their attacking momentum intensified, with many players pushing forward to score again and overturn the game. But Cunha’s presence kept the match balanced and prevented United from collapsing.

Cunha is also tactically smart; during stoppage time, when he had the ball, he slowed the pace and, facing opponent pressure, went down with minimal contact.

This not only helped waste time but Cunha cleverly used the situation to gain advantages for his team.

He first clearly complained to referee Michael Oliver about a serious foul by Milos Kolkez.

When that didn’t work, Cunha furrowed his brow and hatched a plan…

He suddenly claimed to have a cramp, having teammates Maguire and Manuel Ugart stretch him out, further delaying the restart.

When Liverpool wanted to speed up the game, Cunha understood the value of slowing things down.

Minutes later, he fouled Curtis Jones in Liverpool’s half and then argued with Szoboszlai over the free-kick location. At that moment, it was Liverpool who were anxious, not Manchester United.

In this match, Cunha ranked alongside Ramens and Bruno Fernandes as one of the Manchester United players with the most touches.

When needed, teammates now tend to pass the ball to Cunha, knowing he can shield it effectively.

Undoubtedly, Cunha will sometimes need to sit on the bench in upcoming Manchester United games. Szeszko can act as a target man, and Mount performs better off the ball than Cunha. Amrabat seems to prefer starting the £60 million English midfielder alongside Mbemo, with Cunha and Szeszko rotating for the last spot.

The Manchester Evening News revealed that the United dressing room is very satisfied with Cunha’s performance at the club, despite his ongoing goal drought.

Manchester United once worried about Cunha’s difficult personality. He is said to be much more outgoing than Mbemo, enjoying showing his affability in public but being less easygoing in private.

However, people currently have a positive impression of Cunha, and interactions with him are almost entirely positive. United has many Portuguese-speaking players, and Cunha has formed a close friendship with England left-back Luke Shaw.

Regarding Cunha’s lack of goals and assists, United insiders say he has been troubled by a hamstring injury, which caused him to miss last month’s Manchester derby.

At the time, Cunha assured Amrabat he was fully fit to play, but he only returned to the squad two weeks later. Unfortunately, his performance against Brentford was not ideal.

However, United players praised Cunha’s display against Liverpool, especially his tactical contribution in the final 10 minutes. The dressing room feels his excellent ball control and progression eased the burden on captain Bruno Fernandes.

Of course, Cunha needs to score in the upcoming match against Brighton. Given his high transfer fee, he must produce better stats or face criticism.