Mata: Let's Keep Our Good Run Going

Juan Mata feels that Manchester United’s excellent end-of-year form can carry forward into the New Year as the Reds prepare to face Stoke City on the back of a nine-match unbeaten run.

Mata himself was impressive in Sunday's 0-0 draw with Tottenham at White Hart Lane, where he played in the hole behind the two strikers. The play-maker came close to scoring with a free-kick in the first half of the game and used his control and excellent range of passing to unlock the Spurs defence. In fact, had it not been for an excellent first-half performance by the home side's goalkeeper Hugo Loris, Mata and his United team-mates would have surely secured all three points.

The Spaniard told MUTV: “I think we had enough chances to score one, maybe two goals. We were thinking [at half-time] that we should have scored and the manager said that. We should have rewarded ourselves. I think we wanted to win and we showed, mainly in the first half, that we could have won."

When tiredness set in after the interval, the game's momentum shifted to Spurs and Mata admitted the hosts had the better chances in the second 45 minutes.

"In the second half they pressed more, they were more offensive and David [De Gea] made great saves as always," reflected Juan.

"But I think both teams were more tired than in the first half and the game was a bit slower than in the first. It was a more open game, [whereas] I think in the first 45 minutes it was about us."

Although the Reds were unable to follow up the Boxing Day victory with another success, Mata still feels the run of outcomes which closed 2014 is a very positive one.

“It’s a good end to the year with a good run of results," he declared. "It has been a long time since we lost the last game so we have to keep going, and we have to keep playing the way we played in the first half. I think it was great football. We always try to get results.”

With Stoke away as the next assignment on New Year's Day, Mata believes the fixture list could have been kinder but says the Reds should be able to take all three points on current form. The Spaniard added: “It is a difficult stadium, it is very windy and it is cold but we will try to play our football and come back to Manchester with three points.”