Matheus Cunha produced his best performance yet for Manchester United as they beat Roma in a thrilling Champions League tie on Tuesday night, and Michael Carrick has now challenged the Brazilian to repeat that display on a regular basis.
Cunha almost single-handedly hauled United back from 2-0 down at half-time, winning the penalty from which Bruno Fernandes started the comeback, scoring the equaliser and then netting the winner before being sent off in injury time. He was dismissed after a late challenge earned him a second yellow card, having earlier smashed a ball into the stands, ripped off his shirt and gone crowd-surfing.
Carrick's challenge and suspension
The suspension means Cunha will miss the trip to Lisbon to face Sporting CP later in November, but he is available for Sunday's Old Trafford date with Aston Villa. The game against Villa will be his 50th for the club, and Tuesday was the first time he has scored more than once in a game since his £62.5million move from Wolves.
Carrick, who was under pressure with United 2-0 down at half-time, has been offered breathing space by the comeback. He could do with a second win in a week to be sure of keeping his job beyond the international break.
A freer role for Cunha
"He has to repeat that performance. He was fantastic and that's close to his best, and that's the level we want to see, not just him, from the team," Carrick said.
Cunha has been hampered by uncertainty over his best position. Signed to fill one of the two No.10 slots in Ruben Amorim's 3-4-2-1, he doesn't have a natural home now that Carrick has reverted to a back four. He spent much of last season on the left wing before starting this campaign as a false nine, and played a bit of both in the second half against Roma.
Carrick has suggested giving the 27-year-old more freedom could unlock those performances regularly. "I think the beauty of Matheus is he can play different positions across the front line," he said. "He's played off the left for us and did ever so well last season. He's played through the middle at times, he played off the left, half through the middle [on Tuesday]. I think just that bit of freedom and fluidity suits him a lot, but he can do both. For sure, he can do both."
