Why Man United Hero Matheus Cunha Could Be ‘Banned’ After Scoring vs Arsenal
- Brazilian international Matheus Cunha could face an FA ban following his goal celebration
- The 26-year-old’s strike secured a vital win for Manchester United against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, January 25
- The victory over the Gunners pushed the Red Devils up to fourth place under interim manager Michael Carrick
Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha is reportedly facing a possible ban following a statement he made during his goal celebration against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, January 25.
The Gunners took the lead in the highly anticipated clash in the 29th minute through an own goal by Lisandro Martínez, before Cameroonian winger Bryan Mbeumo equalised for the Red Devils.
Five minutes into the second half, Patrick Dorgu put Manchester United ahead with a superb left-footed strike, but Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino restored parity in the 84th minute.
Source: Getty Images
The tense encounter took a dramatic turn when Cunha fired home a powerful effort in the 87th minute to seal a 3-2 victory for United.
Manchester United’s victory condemned Arsenal to their first defeat in 13 matches across all competitions, ending a winning run that began after their loss to Aston Villa in December 2025.
Despite the setback, the north London club remain four points clear of Manchester City and Aston Villa, who both sit on 46 points.
Reason for Cunha’s potential punishment
Former Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha was caught on camera appearing to utter inflammatory words during his goal celebration.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Cunha grabbed the camera and shouted something down the lens, the exact words were unclear but appeared to include explicit language.
Watch Matheus Cunha:
Under Football Association regulations, players can be punished for using offensive, insulting, or abusive language during matches.
The rules also state that even if the referee does not hear the remarks, the FA may take action if the incident is captured on camera and widely broadcast.
The FA reportedly considers swearing directly into a camera lens a clear and deliberate act of misconduct that brings the game into disrepute.
Source: Getty Images
Sky Sports commentator Peter Drury issued an immediate on-air apology following the incident. Drury said via SportBible:
“If you heard some bad language in among the celebrations, for that we apologise.”
In 2011, former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney received a two-match ban after being caught swearing into a television camera following a goal against West Ham at Upton Park.
The former England international was charged with using offensive, insulting and/or abusive language.
The former Everton player apologised immediately and missed the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley. He claimed that other players were not punished for doing the same.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are back in action next weekend when they take on Fulham at Old Trafford.
Supercomputer predicted Premier League winner
Legit.ng earlier reported that a supercomputer predicted Arsenal to win the Premier League title this season after the Gunners went six points clear after 12 matches.
Mikel Arteta’s side are favourites to win the Premier League and Champions League this season after a bright start in both competitions.
Source: Legit.ng
