'Unacceptable' - Wolves ace faces extra punishment after red card vs Bournemouth, ex-referee says

Wolves were beaten on penalties by fellow Premier League side AFC Bournemouth in the FA Cup on Saturday. The pair played out a 1-1 draw in normal time before the hosts edged it.

Matheus Cunha scored for the visitors before getting sent off in extra-time. Vitor Pereira’s side are back in action on next weekend at home to Everton in the league.

They are currently sat in 17th place in the table with 11 fixtures to play. Five points separate them from Ipswich Town in 18th.

Ex-referee on Matheus Cunha red card

Cunha will need to dealt with by Wolves after his sending off against Bournemouth, according to former referee Keith Hackett. He was given his marching orders after a scuffle with Milos Kerkez.

Hackett has said, as per Football Insider: “The behaviour of this player is totally unacceptable and his actions damage the image of the game. The first question to ask is how will his manager and Wolves deal with their employee.

“He clearly needs to attend a course to try to improve his behaviour. The FA are having a busy weekend and the fine and suspension needs to be appropriate taking into account his previous sanctions.”

Cunha, 25, has been a key player for Wolves over recent times. He joined them back in 2023 and has since established himself as one of their most prized assets.

The Brazil international has scored 31 goals in 85 games in all competitions, 15 of which have come in this campaign. He has also had spells in the past at FC Sion, RB Leipzig, Hertha Berlin and Atletico Madrid.

What now for Wolves?

Wolves will want to bounce back from their cup loss to Bournemouth as soon as they can. Their home clash against Everton is a chance to put some more breathing space between them and the drop zone.

Speaking after their defeat to the Cherries, Pereira said: “It was a very tough game with a lot of limitations, injury limitations, yellow cards, and facing a team that was physically strong, playing football physically with long balls. With balls in the space, second balls and they are they are they are good in this in this in this way of play.

“We competed until the last minute, until the last penalty. It means that, in the end of the day, I'm proud of my team. With the injury of Bellegarde, injury of Doherty, injury of Munetsi, injury of Cunha, the Joao yellow card and the Nelson yellow card. It's too many things. In the end, we missed the penalty, but we competed and I'm proud of my players.”

Regarding Cunha’s red card, he said: “Matheus is a special player, and today he played the extra time without conditions to play, the last three weeks, he has had a problem in the in the hamstring, and he tried, of course. The emotional side was very high, not only inside the pitch, but on the bench, in the stands, everywhere there was a lot of pressure.”