Mata Buzzing After Happiest Day In A United Shirt

Juan Mata described his brace at Anfield which secured a vital 2-1 victory over Liverpool as “my happiest day” in a Manchester United shirt.

The Spaniard, who took 90 per cent of votes in @ManUtd's Man of the Match poll, gave the Reds the lead in the first half when he finished off a neat move with a clinical right-footed finish past Simon Mignolet. But he outdid that in the second half with a brilliant acrobatic strike.

“It feels amazing,” he told MUTV. “The game was massive for us because of the position in the table, the rivalry and the history between the two clubs. I think today is the happiest day since I came to the club. I am very happy for the fans, for the team and happy with the performance and the three points.

“The second goal was nicer, it was a good pass from Angel [Di Maria] and I just tried to score with my first touch. But overall I think the performance of the team was the key for the win. I am very happy because of the goals, but I am happy about how we performed, how we defended. We knew that Liverpool were going to push until the end and we fought.”

Mata’s second goal came at a crucial time after Steven Gerrard was sent off almost immediately after coming on at half-time, following his stamp on Ander Herrera. But Mata says making the most of that numerical advantage was difficult.

“I think we played better against 11 players than against 10,” he added. “It was tense, they had nothing to lose and they were more dangerous [in that situation with 10 men], where you just have to be offensive and create chances. And they have the players to do it. I think we kept our shape well and didn’t allow so many chances. It’s tough to play here at Anfield but it was a great game.”

The result and the performance, however, give Mata plenty of hope for what United can achieve in the final eight games of the season. Juan said: “The first half was very good, like against Tottenham, and I think the team is reaching that level that we should play at. We have the players to do it and it is very important that the team is performing at the best level at the most important stage of the season. We have to carry on and keep winning and winning.

“This win is important, but it’s no more than three points. We have some very important games to go against direct rivals. But you could feel from the beginning of the week how much the supporters wanted us to win here. It’s a massive game, the biggest in England, and that is why we are very happy.”