Smalling Delighted To Reclaim Third Place

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling says it's "nice to be ahead" of the club's top-four competitors after a midweek fixture programme in which Arsenal and Liverpool also registered victories.

Southampton's 0-0 draw at home to West Ham enabled the Reds to reclaim third spot in the table with Wednesday night's 3-1 win over Burnley, in which Smalling made history as the first substitute in Premier League history to score a first-half double.

The centre-back says that while United's performance could have been better, the result could prove vital in the race for a Champions League place come the end of the season.

"I think it's great to be up there, ahead of the others, as opposed to having games in hand that you have to win in order to climb the table," Smalling told ManUtd.com after full-time.

"We did the job, but if you can win when you’re not playing too well, it’s a good sign."

With the Barclays Premier League now taking another break until Saturday 21 February, when the Reds travel to Swansea, the focus switches back to the FA Cup and another away match against Preston North End. Smalling feels the Monday-night billing for the fifth-round tie could be a blessing, especially after the injuries United sustained against Burnley.

"We need to make sure that we come out of the blocks quickly against Preston on Monday and we’ve now got a few days to rest and prepare," assessed Smalling.

"In the last couple of games we’ve been able to have a fully-fit squad, so it’s unfortunate that we picked up a couple of injuries tonight. It seems that whenever someone comes back, another drops out. It’s been unfortunate, but hopefully they [Phil Jones and Daley Blind] won’t be out for long."