By the time Alejandro Garnacho made his acrimonious exit from Old Trafford last summer, Manchester United had already signed the man who would take his place on the left side of their attack.
At £62.5million, Matheus Cunha only cost a modest amount more than the £40m United banked from Garnacho’s move to Chelsea. But United knew they were getting a proven Premier League player coming into the prime of his career, while Garnacho still had some way to go to justify his high opinion of himself.
Here, on a night of contrasting fortunes at Stamford Bridge, the difference was clear to see.
While Cunha was converting United’s only shot on target of the whole night to give Michael Carrick‘s side a massive win in the race for Champions League qualification, Garnacho was trapped in his own private purgatory.
True, Cunha was making up for an earlier miss in the 24th minute when his heavy first touch from Bryan Mbeumo’s cut-back not only resulted in a missed chance but a yellow card as he clattered into Jorrel Hato.
But when Bruno Fernandes escaped down the same flank two minutes before half-time, and set up an almost identical chance for the Brazilian, he made no mistake; a first-time finish despatched clinically past Robert Sanchez.
Matheus Cunha scored the winner for Man United on a night Alejandro Garnacho struggled
It is easy to see why there have already been doubts over Garnacho’s future at Stamford Bridge
‘It’s the position we want him to be in,’ said United head coach Michael Carrick. ‘I think he gives us width at times on one side, but he needs to be in the middle of goal and scoring goals.
‘He’s had some really big moments for us, Matheus. It’s just finding those spaces and that composure as well. As you say, the one earlier where he’s probably a little bit frustrated with himself.
‘It was a good opportunity and a similar one. So to be there again and put it away shows what he’s all about.’
Fernandes got away from Garnacho before passing, and United fans would have been familiar with the winger’s inability to track back effectively.
It was one of his more infuriating traits, as well as a tendency to shoot when passing was the better option. It cost him his place at United under Ruben Amorim, and by the time he was benched for the Europa League final against Tottenham last May – with Garnacho’s brother publicly accusing Amorim of ‘throwing him under the bus’ – there was only going to be one outcome.
After less than a season in west London, there are…