WHAT DID MATHEUS CUNHA SHOUT INTO THE CAMERA AFTER HIS 87TH-MINUTE WINNER?
Matheus Cunha hails Arsenal as the world’s best despite scoring the winner in Manchester United’s 3-2 thriller at the Emirates.
Matheus Cunha didn’t hold back after Manchester United’s dramatic win over Arsenal—he called the Gunners the “best team in the world.” United, still buzzing from their turnaround under Michael Carrick, managed to shock the Premier League leaders at the Emirates with a wild 3-2 victory.
Arsenal actually started strong. They even grabbed the lead thanks to Lisandro Martinez accidentally putting the ball in his own net. But before halftime, Bryan Mbeumo squared things up. Then the game went back and forth—Patrick Dorgu smashed in a stunner for United, but Mikel Merino bundled in an equaliser for Arsenal late in the match. At that point, it looked like Arsenal had the momentum. Instead, United went right down the pitch, and Cunha sealed it with a beautiful curling shot—one he’ll remember for a while.
The win cuts Arsenal’s lead at the top to just four points. Meanwhile, Manchester United leapfrog Liverpool and Chelsea into the Champions League spots.
Cunha was pretty proud of how United fought. “We showed real character and strength as a group,” he told BBC Sport. “Coming here, you know you’re facing the best team in the world right now. They’ve worked with Mikel [Arteta] for so long; they know every detail of his tactics. It’s always tough, but we’re united, and we play to win. That’s it.”
He also had a few words about Carrick’s influence since stepping in as caretaker. “He gets it. He’s been here and played here for years. He knows what Manchester United is supposed to feel like. He keeps telling us, ‘Everyone is against us,’ and that just pulls us tighter together.”
Carrick made a real impact fast. United beat Manchester City in their first game, and now they’ve taken down title favourites Arsenal. After the match, Carrick said, “It was a good day. We put everything into that game—really had to dig deep, especially early on. The boys deserve a lot of credit. We had setbacks, but we kept bouncing back. There’s a lot to like about how we played, even though we’re still new together. Against a team like Arsenal, you take every positive you can get and build from there.”
He finished with a nod to his players: “They’ve been fantastic. You can see what it means to them. The Emirates is a tough place to come, but we stuck with it, and, honestly, it feels amazing.”
INSIDE SENNE LAMMENS’ BLUEPRINT FOR MAN UNITED’S MASSIVE 2026 SUMMER TRANSFER OVERHAUL
"We want to be stronger." Read Senne Lammens' honest assessment of Manchester United’s squad needs after the Sunderland draw.
Senne Lammens isn’t hiding from the truth; he knows Manchester United have to beef up their squad this summer if they want to handle both the Premier League and Champions League next season.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland showed just how thin United are right now. Casemiro, Benjamin Sesko, and Manuel Ugarte all sat out with injuries, and you could feel their absence on the pitch.
It’s been a weird season for United. They played just 40 games, the fewest in over a century, because they were eliminated from Europe and both domestic cups so early. But now they’re back in the Champions League, and Lammens realises the team has to get deeper if they want to compete seriously.
“Yeah, definitely. This league’s tough, and next year’s schedule is going to be insane,” the goalkeeper said. “You want to have enough reliable players, people who can step up whenever they’re needed.”
Lammens made it clear that United must invest in new signings during the summer window. He’s not saying the squad lacks quality now, but he knows things will get tougher. “Honestly, I think we’ve got a lot of talent this year,” he said. “But next season’s going to ask a lot more from us, and you need to be ready for injuries and everything that can come with a busy year like today, when we missed a few regular starters. Being able to call on others to jump in really matters.”
He wants a strong, well-rounded group ready for the challenges ahead. “We’re already building towards that, but we want to be even stronger for next season.”
Some people wondered if United relaxed after they clinched their Champions League spot by beating Liverpool last weekend. Lammens brushed that idea off. He said head coach Michael Carrick was all over them, reminding everyone to finish the season on a high.
“I don’t think so, not for me at least,” Lammens said. “The manager made it clear that these last games are important. We want as many points as we can get and to finish as high as possible. How you end the season carries over. It’s your launchpad for next year. We want to keep the momentum going.”
He didn’t want to hear any excuses. “Honestly, if we’d played at Sunderland a few weeks ago before securing the Champions League, it still would’ve been tough. That wasn’t in our minds.”
Carrick echoed those thoughts after the match. He sounded almost annoyed when asked if the players were mentally on holiday already.
“I get almost offended by that,” he said. “The way the players prepared and battled out there, it’s clear they’re still focused. If we’d been off it, we’d have lost. Sunderland pushed us hard at times.”
He thinks the pride and responsibility of playing for Manchester United is all the motivation the team needs. “That’s what keeps us sharp, knowing we represent something big. That doesn’t guarantee we’ll always play brilliantly, but it’s enough to fight through tough days.”
MANCHESTER UNITED HOLD ADVANCED NEGOTIATIONS FOR RECORD-BREAKING £18M BETWAY SPONSORSHIP
Despite the upcoming front-of-shirt gambling ban, explore how Man United’s Betway deal targets training apparel at Carrington.
Manchester United are currently discussing a potential sponsorship deal with Betway, reportedly worth up to £18 million. This comes despite the Premier League having banned betting companies from featuring as main shirt sponsors starting from the 2026-27 season.
Back in 2023, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to remove gambling logos from the front of their shirts. From that point, no top-flight team will carry betting advertisements on their kits during matches. But this new deal would see Betway appear on United’s training gear, not their matchday shirts.
According to reports from the MEN, talks have progressed significantly. If an agreement were reached, the Betway logo would be quite visible on the training apparel worn by players at Carrington, United’s training ground. That means fans would regularly see the branding in video footage and photos taken during training sessions.
Previously, United’s training kits featured Tezos, a blockchain company, until that partnership ended in June 2025. Betway has its own history with English football; they’ve been shirt sponsors for West Ham United and maintain global gambling partnerships with several Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Arsenal, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
The financial terms on the table for this Betway deal would be substantially close to £18 million, putting it on a similar scale to Bayern Munich’s partnership with Allianz, which includes stadium naming rights. This is quite a significant figure for a single training kit sponsor.
This season, United have gone without a sponsor on their training gear. After the Tezos contract expired, the club chose not to rush into a new agreement. They wanted to carefully evaluate potential partners, both from a financial standpoint and in terms of brand alignment.
There were even conversations with the African division of the Six Rivers Foundation, a conservation project in which United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has invested. However, those discussions didn’t lead to a deal.
When majority owners Joel and Avram Glazer visited Carrington earlier this year, commercial revenue and sponsorship opportunities were among the key topics addressed. The club has also brought in marketing agency Two Circles, where ex-United sales manager Leo Thompson works, to help find a new sleeve sponsor, given that the current contract with DXC ends this summer.
Securing Champions League qualification for next season under Michael Carrick’s leadership has somewhat eased the process. United guaranteed their place in Europe’s top competition after a 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, which should make the club more attractive to potential commercial partners.
