Owen Hargreaves has admitted he already 'loves' a player Manchester United signed over the summer. United invested heavily in their attack in the off-season to bring in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. The Premier League powerhouse also brought in a new goalkeeper as Senne Lammens arrived from Royal Antwerp. And Hargreaves has lavished praise upon a new attacking arrival.
Getty Images SportUnited extend winning run
United claimed a third successive Premier League win on Saturday evening as goals from Matheus Cunha, Casemiro and Bryan Mbeumo brace wrapped up a 4-2 win over Brighton. Danny Welbeck and Charalampos Kostoulas each netted late on to set up a nervy finish but United held out to claim a huge three points.
Wins over Sunderland and Liverpool has eased pressure on head coach Ruben Amorim and helped move United up towards the top of the table. The Portuguese boss has been linked with an early Old Trafford exit as his first year anniversary at the club nears.
However, three consecutive Premier League victories has gone some way to silencing Amorim's doubters. And Hargreaves has praised Cunha, whose opening strike midway through the first half against Brighton was his first in a United shirt.
Advertisement'I just love the way he talks and plays'
Speaking after United's win over Brighton on Saturday, Hargreaves told Premier League Productions via The Metro: "I don’t think the performances have been amazing but the results speak for themselves. If you think back to the first game of the season against Arsenal, that was a good performance but they somehow lost the game. The results are the most important thing.
"When you have players like Matheus Cunha who have a real personality… I just love the way he talks and plays. Cunha and Mbeumo along with Bruno Fernandes are guys that you can rely on and trust.
"Manchester United are scoring goals and look dangerous, I would say they’re conceding more than they would like, 14 is a lot after nine games. But I like the look of the team and the direction they’re going in. The goalkeeper [Senne Lammens] has made a difference as well."
Getty Images SportAmorim reacts to Brighton win
Amorim stated that he was pleased with United's win over Brighton, and added that Cunha would prove to be a 'massive' player for the club. The Brazilian cost £62.5m to sign from Wolves over the summer and has shown glimpses of his talent in the opening weeks of his time at Old Trafford.
On the win over Seagulls, Amorim said: "It is a good feeling. To listen to the crowd, the joy, it is important. We need to enjoy that today but then prepare for the next one. Everything can change really quickly, but if you have that feeling and still feel confident to work, we are going to be a better team."
And on Cunha, the United boss added: "He was struggling [previously]. He can hide that, but I understood that. It is not a surprise the way he responded at Anfield or played today with and without the ball, and that is going to be massive for us. He needs to score goals; he suffers when he doesn’t score, but he is a top player who decides games."
Trip to Forest up next for United
Manchester United will look to make it four wins on the spin when they take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground next weekend. Forest won their first match under Sean Dyche last week as they beat FC Porto in the Europa League on home turf.
And United then travel to the capital to take on Tottenham before the November international break as they look to maintain their winning run. Frank Ilett is hoping that United can continue their fine form as he looks to finally have a first haircut in over a year.
Ilett pledged to not cut his hair until United won five games in a row last October and has gone over a year now without a trim. "It's been an absolutely crazy journey – I never expected my hair, or my following, to be as big as it has become," the United fan told the BBC last month.