Matheus Cunha had a rare disaster class for Wolves as the Brazilian conceded a penalty against Brighton.
Wolves lost 2-0 to Brighton at Molineux to see their recent form slip.
Several Wolves players were below par against Brighton, including Cunha, who is usually the source of inspiration for Vitor Pereira.
When the score was 0-0, the 25-year-old opened himself up to receive a pass from Emmanuel Agbadou, but unfortunately, the Seagulls were a step ahead and took advantage of the poor pass from the back.
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Matheus Cunha told he was ‘lucky’ not to receive a red card against Brighton
The visitors won the ball back, which prompted Cunha to hack Mats Wieffer down in the box after two risky challenges to win possession.
Michael Oliver has had his fair share of controversy at Molineux and added to his list, as, after the game, the referee was told he made a mistake by not sending Cunha off.
Analysing Wolves’ defeat on BBC Match of the Day, punditry duo Gary Lineker and Shay Given agreed that the Brazilian should’ve seen red.
“Cunha’s had a couple of suspensions this year, and I think he’s very lucky not to have a third one. For me, this is a red card,” Given said.
Lineker agreed, “Double jeopardy, but that only applies when you make a genuine attempt to play the ball, and he’s clearly not.”
Given went on to double down on his opinion that Cunha was ‘very lucky’ to have escaped with a yellow card.
“The ball is a bit lower than where he [makes] contact, his knee really, I think it’s a red card, Michael Oliver should’ve sent him off, I think Cunha is very, very lucky.”
It was a poor performance from Cunha, who apologised to fans for his display against Brighton, but from an alternate view, the forward can be counting his lucky stars.
Another suspension would’ve been a disaster for Cunha
Given drew attention to Cunha’s suspensions this season, having served two bans since the 2024/25 calendar started.
The idea of collecting another suspension would’ve been a nightmare for the Brazilian, not only due to his desire to end the season on a high.
Clubs are already wary of Cunha’s disciplinary record ahead of the summer transfer, which could impact the move that the forward could secure.
The former Atletico Madrid ace will likely depart Molineux at the end of the season, however, nothing is set in stone just yet, emphasising the need for him to close his Wolves chapter on a positive note.