Speaking to fans at a special supporters’ event in the city on Friday night, it became clear that Cunha was the player in the squad that the majority were most keen to a glimpse of when the action got under way on Saturday.
It is no surprise given the high reputation that the fleet-footed playmaker carved out in his pre-United years, and we would soon see the technical ability that he regularly demonstrated for former club Wolves come to the fore once the fixture settled into a rhythm, after a cagey start.
A stepover by the left flank to draw a foul from Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu was his first crowd-pleasing contribution, while a burst through a narrow lane between Ao Tanaka and Wilfried Gnonto also drew acclaim – and another free-kick – shortly after.
Our new no.10 mostly operated from an attacking-midfield role on the inside left of our formation, but did pop up out on the flank and over on the right, where he duelled to win a throw-in with Leeds man Jaka Bijol by the corner flag.
With freedom to make an impact, it was understandable that our Yorkshire rivals looked to draw bodies towards him in dangerous areas around the edge of the box, and said opposition players may have been somewhat relieved when Chido Obi opted to shoot instead of letting the ball run on for Cunha near the end of the half, as Matheus looked to be shaping to curl into the far corner.