Sunday’s showdown between Liverpool and Manchester United will see a return of hostilities between two players who were involved in a violent confrontation earlier this year. Matheus Cunha and Milos Kerkez will line up against each other for the first time since their respective summer moves to Old Trafford and Anfield. Both players will be desperate to secure the bragging rights as they get their first taste of the biggest rivalry in English football.
They are already well-acquainted with one another, having come to blows in last season’s FA Cup game between Wolves and Bournemouth. Cunha got involved in an altercation with Kerkez after scoring a late equaliser to send the tie to extra time. He was sent off for punching, kicking and headbutting the Bournemouth defender in a shocking outburst.
Cunha was later charged with violent conduct by the FA and handed a four-game ban, one more than he was initially set to serve under the conditions of a straight red card.
The incident left Wolves a player short and they were made to pay in the end, with Bournemouth winning on penalties to reach the quarter-finals. They were ultimately dumped out of the FA Cup by eventual runners-up Manchester City.
It remains to be seen if there will be any bad blood between Cunha and Kerkez when they face off at Anfield this afternoon. United will certainly be looking to avoid leaving themselves short as they seek an unlikely win over the Premier League champions.
Both players have struggled to hit their stride this season, with Cunha having been forced to settle for a place on the bench in recent weeks.
He has lost his place in the side to Mason Mount and that is likely to continue against Liverpool, unless Ruben Amorim decides to throw a curveball in his team selection.
Kerkez, meanwhile, has endured a tough start to life on Merseyside with questions being asked over his muted displays. His lowest moment came when he was substituted before half-time in Liverpool’s win over Burnley.
Gary Neville was among those to criticise the defender following the Reds’ defeat to Chelsea before the international break, saying: “The boy Kerkez, to be honest with you, at this point in time, he looks like a youth team player.
“I know he’s a good player, but he looks like he’s playing for the youth team or the under-21s. He looks so naive. He looks like a baby out there.
“He’s had Premier League experience, it’s not like he’s come in from another country. He’s got a lot of games under his belt, he’s played at these grounds before, so I expected him to slot in.”
