Martin Keown warns Arsenal over ‘Ronaldo-like’ forward after ‘ugly’ FA Cup talking point
Martin Keown was impressed and frustrated with Arsenal target Matheus Cunha during Wolves’ FA Cup exit against Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Brazilian has attracted lots of interest from around Europe, especially Premier League clubs, after his impressive performances for Wolves this season.
After contributing 12 goals and seven assists in 32 Premier League matches last term, Cunha has showed consistency by providing 13 goals and four assists in 26 games so far this season.
And now Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and others have all been rumoured to be interested in signing the Brazil international, who signed for Wolves from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in January 2023.
Cunha has also contributed two FA Cup goals in two appearances this term with his latest strike coming as they lost on penalties to Bournemouth over the weekend.
The 25-year-old scored a sublime strike from 30 yards out to cancel out Evanilson’s opener for the Cherries, who went on 5-4 in the penalty shoot-out.
And Arsenal legend Keown reckons Cunha’s strike was a Champions League-level goal and described the Brazilian’s 60th-minute effort as “Ronaldo-like”.
Keown said on Match of the Day: “The ability he [Cunha] has is top-level. The goal he scores today belongs not in the FA Cup, it belongs in the Champions League it’s that good.
“Give him too much space and he does this and that’s Ronaldo-like. That’s top-level, absolutely top-drawer finish.
“Strikes right through the ball, beautiful, keeper isn’t getting anywhere near it.”
However, Arsenal and possible new owners in the summer won’t like Cunha’s tendancy to get involved in the “ugly” stuff as the Wolves star was sent off in the 120th minute against Bournemouth.
After having his shirt pulled by Milos Kerkez, Cunha appeared to hit the Bournemouth defender a few times before kicking and headbutting his opponent.
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On Cunha, who was immediately shown a red card, Keown added: “Then suddenly, we see the ugly. Kerkez gets involved and then that’s a right, left, kick and a headbutt, it’s the three-card trick really.
“I’ve not seen that on a football pitch since the 70s. He just cannot do that. He just lost it completely.
“And worse still, they just could not get him out of the ground. In the end the cameras had to come away. This was the ugly part.
“This is something he has to stop because he has a history of this already. He pulled the glasses off a steward recently so whether it’s going to be three games or more this fella has to play and it’s vital he’s going to be available.
“They [Wolves] need points to stay up and the Ipswich game is massive. They’re five points clear now but that’s a huge loss they need him back on the pitch.”
