Matheus Cunha sends message to Wolves teammates after Bournemouth head loss
Matheus Cunha has broken his silence after being sent off as Wolves were beaten on penalties by Bournemouth in the FA Cup.
It was only a week ago that Cunha scored the only goal of the game against the same opposition to secure a crucial win in their battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
That game had turned on a controversial red card for Bournemouth defender Ilya Zabarnyi during the first-half.
Cunha was again on the scoresheet at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday (1 March) but he was then the one to see red late in the game, in what was a less contentious decision.
Matheus Cunha sees red as Wolves exit FA Cup
After Bournemouth has taken the lead through Evanilson, a stunning long-range strike from Cunha pulled the visitors level on the hour-mark.
That was enough to take the game to extra time, and with just minutes before the match went to penalties the Brazilian earned himself a red card in remarkable circumstances.
After tussling for the ball with Bournemouth full-back Milos Kerkez, Cunha by lashing out at the Hungarian, first swinging an arm before pushing his head towards his opponent.
Referee Sam Barrott then promptly sent off the striker, who then clashed with staff as they attempted to guide him to the dressing room.
Many pundits were left shocked by the actions of the Wolves striker, as his side then went on to be beaten by penalties.
| Last five Wolves games | Result |
| Blackburn Rovers (A) | Won 2-0 |
| Liverpool (A) | Lost 2-1 |
| Bournemouth (A) | Won 1-0 |
| Fulham (H) | Lost 2-1 |
| Bournemouth (A) | Drew 1-1 (lost 5-4 on penalties) |
It has been suggested that Cunha could face further punishment both from the FA and his manager Vitor Pereira, and the striker has now spoken out about what happened.
Taking to his Instagram story to reflect on his sending off against Bournemouth, the Wolves striker wrote: “In the end another game where you guys did your best. I couldn’t lose my head at the end. Sorry.”
Vitor Pereira will fume over red card at Bournemouth
Football Insider Verdict
You couldn’t blame the Wolves manager if he was still furious with Cunha even despite his comments here.
The striker would have been a good bet to take a penalty in the shootout, so his sending off may well have contributed to this defeat.
Given a number of big clubs have already gone out of the FA Cup, that may make this something of an opportunity missed for a run to the final stages at the very least.
It is also worth noting that Wolves are still only five points of the relegation zone in the Premier League table as things stand.
They are not fully safe yet, and with Cunha set to be banned now, Pereira will have to deal with the frustration of missing his best player in some crucial games as they look to secure their top-flight status.