Mata: We Gave Everything

Goalscorer Juan Mata was delighted to help Manchester United reach the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup after a narrow victory over local rivals Manchester City.

The Spaniard's second-half goal was enough to settle Wednesday's game at Old Trafford as the Reds bounced back from the disappointing reversal at Chelsea on Sunday.

Mata was voted as the club’s Man of the Match with 49 per cent of fans' votes on Twitter but felt the team’s performance was crucial to the victory.

"From the first minute until the last, we left everything on the pitch," he said. "We knew we had to be strong in our minds to face this game and I think we were that. We showed today that we're still competing.

"I think it was very important to win after the defeat we had in London. It was a massive game for us, a derby, and it's always difficult to play against Manchester City as they play very good football. We gave one hundred percent and we won today."

Of his 54th-minute winner, a left-footed shot past Willy Caballero from Zlatan Ibrahimovic's cross, Mata said: "Every time you score an important goal it’s obviously a great feeling. I think we started very well in the second half, playing good football and creating chances and that's why we scored."

Mata, who was given a standing ovation by the Old Trafford crowd when he was replaced by Morgan Schneiderlin late in the game, insisted that while he and the team are happy their hard work was rewarded with a victory, they also have one eye on the Burnley game at the weekend.

"We need to leave everything on the pitch every single game to win," he insisted. "It’s not easy to play against any team. The feeling today is happiness but tomorrow we’ll start thinking about the next game."

Mata was talking to MUTV and Sky Sports.