Manchester United vs. Wolves: Matheus Cunha bidding to join exclusive club in Premier League game

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha could join an exclusive club when his side face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

The West Midlands outfit head into the Premier League fixture against the Red Devils with their top-flight status almost guaranteed for another 12 months having opened up a 14-point gap over 18th-placed Ipswich Town in the standings.

However, Vitor Pereira is eager to extend Wolves' outstanding form since his December arrival, his team only trailing 13th-placed Everton by three points.

From the perspective of Matheus Cunha, he heads into this game in the knowledge that Wolves' next opponents could potentially make a big-money approach for him in the summer.

Despite Pereira having named the same starting lineup for five successive games, Cunha could be recalled to the team if Jean-Ricner Bellegarde does not pass a fitness test.

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What club can Cunha join?

Last weekend, the 25-year-old came off the substitutes' bench to net a decisive goal against Tottenham Hotspur, his 14th Premier League strike of the campaign.

Should Cunha get on the scoresheet versus United, he would become just the third Brazilian player to reach 15 goals in a single Premier League season.

Only Roberto Firmino for Liverpool in 2017-18 and Gabriel Martinelli for Arsenal in 2022-23 have achieved that feat, both netting exactly 15 times.

Furthermore, Cunha is only three goals adrift of Raul Jimenez's total of 17 goals for Wolves in 2019-20, the most any player has netted for the club in a single campaign during the Premier League era.

Cunha's teammate Jorgen Strand Larsen also has a record in his sights. If the Norway international scores against Man United, he will become the first Wolves player to score in five successive Premier League appearances since Henri Camara in 2004.

From a club perspective, Wolves are bidding to achieve their first league double over Man United since the 1979-80 season.

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Man United bidding to extend Easter Sunday streak

As for Man United, they have never suffered defeat at Old Trafford in a fixture played on Easter Sunday, winning all four times and conceding just the one goal.

However, if Ruben Amorim's side concede the first goal on Sunday, it would represent the 20th time they have conceded the opening strike in a Premier League fixture this season, representing a club record.