Matheus Cunha was again in the headlines as his side, Wolverhampton Wanderers, were knocked out of the FA Cup in the fifth round against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. When the two teams faced each other in the Premier League at the same venue, Cunha was the difference, securing a precious three points for Wolves. On Saturday, however, the outcome was different, and once again, he was at the center of it.
Bournemouth, currently seventh in the table, were on the front foot. They deservedly opened the scoring through Evanilson in the 30th minute. However, Wolves managed to withstand the pressure in this all-Premier League FA Cup clash. They found an equalizer on the hour mark through Matheus Cunha. The match ultimately went to a penalty shootout, where Bournemouth emerged victorious, progressing to the FA Cup quarter-finals for only the third time in their history.
The match was eventful, featuring a disallowed goal, VAR drama, a goal-line clearance, and brilliant saves, especially from Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. Cunha’s goal was an outstanding shot from outside the box, but the biggest talking point was his madness in the 120th minute when Wolves were close to taking the match to penalties.
Wolves had pushed the ball into Bournemouth’s half, but when Cunha received a pass, he was offside. Milos Kerkez reacted quickly, taking the ball away from the Brazilian to restart the game. Wolves’ top scorer, seemingly trying to waste time, was not happy.
Losing his temper, Cunha pulled Kerkez’s shirt before swinging his hands at the Hungarian and slightly headbutting him. After consulting with his assistants, referee Chris Kavanagh showed Cunha a red card. His aggression didn’t stop there, he continued to lose his composure on the touchline and had to be dragged toward the dressing room by Wolves officials.
Now, Cunha will be suspended for the Wolves' next three games, and the punishment could be even harsher since this is his second red card of the season. Given the violent nature of the incident, an extended ban is a real possibility, something Wolves, currently 17th in the table, can ill afford.
The first time Cunha was suspended came after his side's loss to fellow relegation-battling side Ipswich Town on December 14th. However, his suspension took time to go into effect, allowing him to feature against Leicester City, another relegation-threatened side. He scored in a 3-0 victory before finding the net again in Wolves’ win over Manchester United. He also started in their 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur.
Cunha’s first suspension ruled him out of Wolves' fixture against Nottingham Forest, which they lost 3-0, and their FA Cup tie against Championship side Bristol City, which they won 2-1. The only negative result was against Forest, but even with Cunha available, that loss was somewhat expected, given that Forest, currently third in the table, is among the top teams this season.
However, this time, Wolves find themselves in a far more concerning situation. The next three games Cunha will miss are against Southampton, Everton, and West Ham United, all of whom sit in the bottom six alongside Wolves. Wins against these teams could be crucial in their bid to stay clear of the relegation zone. The match that follows is against Ipswich Town, who currently sit just behind Wolves in 18th place.
Wolves will miss Cunha during a critical stretch of the season. Their upcoming fixtures will have a direct impact on their survival, as they are facing teams around them in the table. The Brazilian, their top scorer with 13 goals, is arguably their best player, and his absence will significantly hurt their chances. Cunha has massively let down his team and fans at the worst possible time.