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Man Utd Star Faces Ban for Euphoric Arsenal Celebrations
Manchester United are still basking in the joy of their thrilling victory against Arsenal at the weekend, but the man responsible for the match-winner, Matheus Cunha, could potentially earn a suspension after he was caught using explicit language after scoring the decisive goal.
A late equaliser from Mikel Merino was erased by a sensational strike from Cunha, who scored his fifth Premier League goal for United to clinch a 3–2 victory over the Gunners on Sunday evening.
Cunha’s screamer made it two straight wins for the Red Devils with Michael Carrick at the helm, dispatching both bitter rivals Man City and now table-toppers Arsenal—the latter hadn’t lost at home in almost nine months.
United are now very much in the thick of the race for the Champions League places in the Premier League after Cunha’s heroics. However, the Brazilian could be forced to the sidelines if the English Football Association decides to suspend him.
Why Matheus Cunha Could be Suspended for Arsenal Celebrations
After scoring the match-winner, Cunha darted towards the corner of the pitch where travelling United fans were allocated inside Emirates Stadium. He busted out dance moves that resembled him surfing, and then got closer to the crowd and screamed the phrase, “The f------ biggest,” directly into a camera.
The explicit remarks could be heard live on Sky Sports’ broadcast of the game, prompting commentator Peter Drury to immediately apologise for the language.
The FA laws of the game state that “using offensive, insulting or abusive language” is an offence punishable by a sending off. Since 2013, the FA is also allowed to consider taking retrospective actions for incidents not seen initially, or those caught on camera and broadcasted to a wide audience.
In 2011, Man United star Wayne Rooney was given a two-match suspension for swearing directly into a camera after scoring a hat-trick vs. West Ham. Rooney went on to miss the 2011 FA Cup semifinal, where the United lost 1–0 against Man City.
There’s still no information as to whether the FA plans to sanction Cunha’s use of profanity. However, Cunha tried to appear innocent when he captioned his Instagram post after the game: “The freaking biggest.”
Regardless of what the verdict is on a potential ban, Cunha’s goal and ensuing celebration went viral and the Brazilian earned the recognition of a former United star that also had an iconic celebration at the Emirates.
Jesse Lingard Reacts to Cunha’s Emirates Heroics and Celebration
The Emirates dance floor is open again for Manchester United players, and the dress code is once again black. pic.twitter.com/FgWLDSBoYX
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) January 25, 2026
One of the most liked comments under Cunha’s celebratory post following the win vs. Arsenal belongs to none other than former United attacker Jesse Lingard. The former England international simply commented a surfing emoji, alluding to Cunha’s dance.
Prior to Sunday’s victory, United hadn’t won at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League since 2017, when Lingard scored a brace to secure a 3–1 win.
Famously, Lingard celebrated one of his goals with an effortless “Milly Rock”—a popular and viral dance move at the time.
Remember Jesse Lingard's celebration when @ManUtd last won at the Emirates in the Premier League? 🕺 pic.twitter.com/uFIsTQEKG4
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 25, 2026
Two years later in Jan. 2019, Lingard scored the match-winner at the Emirates in United’s 3–1 win against Arsenal in the FA Cup. He celebrated by doing the iconic “moonwalk” dance, and he later went on to taunt Arsenal in a social media post, tagging the Emirates Stadium location as the “dancefloor.”
Exactly seven years after Lingard’s moonwalk, Cunha reopened United’s dance floor at the Emirates with his “surfing” dance.
The result? A dent into Arsenal’s title hopes and three points for United that could be crucial in their hopes of returning to the Champions League.
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-06ad2d29b37d2cca1a44008a56289260.png "Roberto Casillas")
Roberto Casillas is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer covering Liga MX, the Mexican National Team & Latin American players in Europe. He is a die hard Cruz Azul and Chelsea fan.