Di Maria Motivated By Arsenal FA Cup Tie

Angel Di Maria thrives on the big stage and the Manchester United no.7 admits he is determined to impress in Monday's much-hyped FA Cup quarter-final with Arsenal at Old Trafford.

The Argentinian playmaker often played a starring role in Real Madrid's many battles with La Liga rivals Barcelona in a fixture that known as El Clasico in Spain, most recently scoring the opening goal in the 2014 Copa Del Rey triumph over Gerardo Martino’s Catalans.

Di Maria was also voted Man of the Match in last season's UEFA Champions League final and received his award from Sir Alex Ferguson. That success was followed by the World Cup in Brazil, where he famously scored an extra-time winner in Argentina’s 1-0 triumph over Switzerland in the last 16.

In an exclusive interview with United Review, the matchday programme at Old Trafford, Di Maria talks about his impressive relationship with the big occasion. “I always like to play in big games when you have the chance to play against great players who are high in quality,” he says. “When you play against a top side it’s even more enjoyable and it’s even more of a source of motivation. So when you win big games like this it’s a good thing both individually and for the group as a whole. Let’s hope that things continue to go well for me in big matches as I have got some lovely memories.”

Monday’s match with Arsenal provides United with an opportunity to move into the semi-finals of the FA Cup and edge closer to winning a trophy. Di Maria admits such success would mean a lot to him and his team-mates.

"It’s not so much how you would feel as an individual, but the impact it would have on the whole group," he adds. "It would make everybody happy, having worked for a whole season to try and attain an objective. It’s very important and even more so when it actually comes to fruition. Here’s hoping I can bring this kind of joy to all the fans, but we know that we have a difficult stumbling block ahead of us in Arsenal so I really hope that we can make that next step and get through to the next round.”