Cunha Sparks Stunning Fightback as Man Utd Halt Losing Streak Against Roma

Manchester United pulled off a stunning second-half comeback to defeat Roma 3–2, finally snapping a nine-match winless streak across all competitions.

Michael Carrick appeared to be on the edge as Roma surged into a two-goal advantage. The home side were culpable of surrendering possession in dangerous positions on two occasions, leaving their unsteady backline vulnerable to the visitors' rapid counter-attacks.

Two diagonal switches from left to right proved costly for United, with Matias Soulé finishing calmly in open space before the Argentine also won Roma a penalty that Donyell Malen dispatched.

The Giallorossi appeared determined to exact revenge for their notorious 7–1 thrashing on this same ground 19 years ago, when a Luciano Spalletti-managed Roma were dismantled by the Red Devils. They could easily have been three or four goals ahead at the break, but settled for two. There was little indication that United were capable of mounting the breathtaking fightback that followed.

A retaken Bruno Fernandes penalty gave the hosts a lifeline, and Roma, so assured in the opening stages, began to wilt under the roar of Old Trafford. United played with renewed conviction and energy, and their persistence was rewarded late on. Matheus Cunha pounced on Leo Balerdi's error to level before the Brazilian hammered home the winner shortly after at Devis Vásquez's near post.

It was yet another extraordinary Roman collapse, though one sparked by United's dramatic improvement after the interval.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

Pep Guardiola once likened facing Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta to "going to the dentist," but Manchester United initially made Gasp's Roma look even more menacing — as though they were enduring a visit from Annie Wilkes from Stephen King's novel Misery.

The Red Devils played the part of the unsuspecting Paul Sheldon, with the hosts appearing wholly unprepared for the unconventional threats posed by their opponents — a side without Paulo Dybala and Manu Koné, fielding a midfield duo averaging 33 years of age, and with their third-choice goalkeeper making his club debut.

It had all the hallmarks of another grim evening, with United two goals down inside 18 minutes. Utterly dire. But goals shift momentum, and the hosts grabbed one from nowhere at the start of the second half, transforming the complexion of the match entirely. A subdued Old Trafford was reinvigorated, and suddenly there was a connection between the stands and the players on the pitch.

What a turnaround a club so desperately craved. Despite the recent upheaval, and the all-too-familiar pattern that has emerged at the outset of 2026–27, the Theatre of Dreams has remained steadfast in its support of Michael Carrick, and this may well rank as the most significant night of his managerial tenure.

It's a foundation to build upon.

Man Utd Player Ratings vs. Roma (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Senne Lammens—6.3: Lammens produced a fine stop at 0–2 to deny Malen and had very little to deal with in the second half.

RB: Leny Yoro—7.5: Amid the chaos, Yoro is at least showing a creditable version of himself. He looks like a player to build around.

CB: Harry Maguire—7.1: A poor clearance gifted Soulé a second opportunity, which led directly to Roma's penalty. Was a threat from set pieces, however.

CB: Ayden Heaven—6.9: After a difficult opening spell, Heaven appeared to be settling in before being substituted with 20 minutes remaining.

LB: Diogo Dalot—7.9: In his eagerness to provide an attacking outlet, Dalot was caught badly out of position twice when United lost the ball in midfield, directly contributing to Roma's first two goals.

CM: Kobbie Mainoo—8.1: The returning midfielder is better than most at escaping pressure, though his distribution let him down at times.

CM: Carlos Baleba—7.9: Sir Jim certainly wouldn't have been pleased to see the midfielder hand his shirt to a fan as he made his way down the tunnel at half-time after picking up an injury.

RW: Amad Diallo—7.2: The Ivorian was kept quiet by Brazilian international Wesley.

AM: Bruno Fernandes—8.6: At his animated best in the first half, Fernandes ended his goal drought from the spot before bursting into life.

LW: Matheus Cunha—8.7: Cunha at least showed some drive during the dismal opening period, and his influence was stamped all over United's comeback.

ST: Bryan Mbeumo—7.1: How did it not go in? Mbeumo struggled for much of the match with a defender constantly on his heels, but was desperately unlucky not to pull United level almost immediately after the deficit was cut to one.

SUB: Youri Tielemans (51' for Baleba)—6.7: A forced introduction following Baleba's injury.

SUB: Lisandro Martínez (75' for Heaven)—7.8: Greeted by a mix of boos and mild applause. No errors to speak of.

SUB: Shea Lacey (75' for Amad)—7.5: An energetic presence off the bench. Fans will undoubtedly call for Lacey to be given more game time.

SUB: Mason Mount (88' for Fernandes)—N/A

SUB: Matthijs de Ligt (88' for Maguire)—N/A

Subs not used: Karl Darlow (GK), Tom Heaton (GK), Noussair Mazraoui, Andrey Santos, Harry Amass, Tyler Fletcher, Joshua Zirkzee.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Man Utd's Remarkable Turnaround