Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were appealing FPL picks last season &#8211; but will they still be as good as Manchester United players?
The Red Devils&#8217; global popularity will no doubt boost the ownership of their new signings ahead of Gameweek 1.
But here we take a look at the duo&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a> and assess whether they are good options for the new season.
View our United team preview and top three FPL picks for Gameweek 1 &#8211; and all of our pre-season content &#8211; in our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fantasy-premier-league-ultimate-guide-fpl-tips">Ultimate Guide to FPL</a>.
<h3>🤖 Hub AI quick summary 🤖</h3>
Simplicity and speed are among Fantasy Football Hub&#8217;s core values, so many of our articles this season will come with a quick &#8216;Hub AI&#8217; summary for those who want the answer &#8211; fast.
Read the full article for the detailed picture &#8211; and listen to an audio summary👇
<ul>
<li>😱United&#8217;s opening six fixtures are among the worst in the league, so approach with caution</li>
<li>⏬Cunha and Mbeumo significantly over-performed their expected goals (xG) last season &#8211; expect a decrease in goals</li>
<li>🥅Mbeumo unlikely to retain penalty duties at Old Trafford but both he and Cunha offer creative potential</li>
</ul>

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<h2>Matheus Cunha: The stats and prospects</h2>
Cunha was Wolves&#8217; talisman last season, scoring 15 and assisting seven to steer them away from relegation.
At times he was an excellent FPL asset, with only Mohamed Salah scoring more bonus points than his 41.
The Brazilian loved a shot, ranking fourth overall (110) and fifth for shots on target (44), however only half of his attempts on goal came from inside the box.
Cunha was no stranger to scoring from distance, which helped contribute to him significantly over-performing his 8.15 expected goals (xG).
<div id="attachment_73277" style="width: 850px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-73277" class="size-full wp-image-73277" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Bonus-2024-25.jpeg" alt="Last season's FPL bonus leaders" width="840" height="690" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Bonus-2024-25.jpeg 840w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Bonus-2024-25-300x246.jpeg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Bonus-2024-25-768x631.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" />Last season&#8217;s FPL bonus leaders</div>
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It was the first time the former Atletico Madrid man had outscored his xG by more than three, suggesting his hefty goal tally is unlikely to be the norm.
But he should improve United&#8217;s squad and make them less reliant on the creativity of Bruno Fernandes.
Cunha created 57 chances and 13 big chances for his teammates, figures that would have ranked second behind the Portuguese if he&#8217;d been in Ruben Amorim&#8217;s team.
If he settles well, Cunha could continue to appeal to FPL managers.
A reclassification to midfield is to be welcomed &#8211; with a goal earning an extra point &#8211; but expecting fewer than last season seems sensible, while the impact on playing alongside Fernandes on his bonus potential will have to be monitored.
Discipline will also be a consideration. He was suspended for two matches following a post-match clash with Ipswich staff and earned a straight red for violent conduct in the FA Cup against Bournemouth.
<div id="attachment_73490" style="width: 850px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-73490" class="size-full wp-image-73490" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Cunha-GW1-38.jpeg" alt="Matheus Cunha's stats" width="840" height="690" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Cunha-GW1-38.jpeg 840w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Cunha-GW1-38-300x246.jpeg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Cunha-GW1-38-768x631.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" />Matheus Cunha&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a></div>
<h2>Bryan Mbeumo: The stats and prospects</h2>
Mbeumo hit the 20 goal mark last season for the first time in his career.
But like Cunha, xG over-performance is a headline issue. Only Bayer Leverkusen&#8217;s Patrik Schick outscored his xG by more across Europe&#8217;s top five leagues.
Mbeumo&#8217;s 20 goals came from an xG of 12.44, with penalties accounting for a chunk of his returns.
The Cameroon international scored five from the spot, missing one. He is unlikely to wrestle spot-kick duties from Fernandes at United, limiting his routes to points.
Don&#8217;t be surprised though if Fernandes gives one up early in the season to help his new teammate build confidence &#8211; he handed Christian Eriksen the ball as a farewell gift against Aston Villa on the final day of the 2024/25 campaign.
<div id="attachment_73491" style="width: 850px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-73491" class="size-full wp-image-73491" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Mbeumo-stats-gw1-38.jpeg" alt="Bryan Mbeumo's stats" width="840" height="690" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Mbeumo-stats-gw1-38.jpeg 840w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Mbeumo-stats-gw1-38-300x246.jpeg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Mbeumo-stats-gw1-38-768x631.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" />Bryan Mbeumo&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a></div>
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The 2019/20 Championship season is the only comparable xG over-performance in Mbeumo&#8217;s career history. He scored 15 against a 9.6 xG, with no penalties.
He offered all-round appeal at Brentford however, racking up nine league assists.
He created 70 chances (fifth) and 17 big chances (T-5th) last season, making him another creative presence that could help boost United&#8217;s goal threat.
Corners and free-kicks were his responsibility at the GTech and he could share set-pieces with Fernandes at Old Trafford.
The loss of penalties and a highly probable reduction in goals on last season will make it challenging for Mbeumo to replicate his 236 FPL points (2nd) but he could still be an option when United&#8217;s fixtures are good.
And both Mbeumo and Cunha could ultimately lift United&#8217;s goalscoring potential. Amorim&#8217;s men ranked 16th for goals scored (44) and majorly under-performed their 53.1 xG.
<div id="attachment_73278" style="width: 850px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-73278" class="size-full wp-image-73278" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Top-10-FPL-points-scorers.jpeg" alt="Mbeumo ranked second for FPL points last season" width="840" height="690" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Top-10-FPL-points-scorers.jpeg 840w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Top-10-FPL-points-scorers-300x246.jpeg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Top-10-FPL-points-scorers-768x631.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" />Mbeumo ranked second for FPL points last season</div>
<h2>United&#8217;s opening fixtures: Avoid in Gameweek 1?</h2>
Those weighing up whether to sign Cunha and Mbeumo in Gameweek 1 may have been given a reprieve.
United have a tough opening run, rated 17th of 20 on the <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fixture-ticker">Hub&#8217;s fixture ticker</a>.
Arsenal (H), Manchester City (A) and Chelsea (H) are among a less than ideal start, which should be enough to dampen the appeal of United picks or the early part of the season.
Their fixtures improve around Gameweek 7, when they host Sunderland. This could be an entry point if they impress beforehand.
At £8.0m apiece, they should offer more certainty of minutes than Phil Foden at the same price.
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