Valencia: Just Keep Winning

Antonio Valencia says all Manchester United can keep doing over the festive period is winning games, as the Reds look to stay on the coat-tails of Premier League leaders City.

The Reds bounced back from Sunday’s derby defeat with a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth, but the Blues remain in command following their 4-0 win at Swansea City.

Games are coming thick and fast over the coming couple of weeks and Valencia insists the Christmas calendar always represents a great opportunity to pick up plenty of points, while hoping others drop some.

“The important thing we have to do now is win,” he told MUTV. “We can’t really afford to lose or even draw, it’s about focusing ourselves and our objectives on winning as many games as we can and hoping that anyone above us slips up now and again.

“When it’s a packed fixture calendar like we have currently, it’s really important to follow step by step what the physios and medical team give us in terms of advice,” he added. “It might be about how we recuperate, what we eat… anything that can help aid the recovery period between games because we have one every few days. It’s always really important to take their advice but especially when it’s a very packed schedule like it is now.”

Matches will follow for the Reds in the Premier League, Carabao Cup and Emirates FA Cup, with the Champions League on the back burner until February. United will face Sevilla in the last 16 when the competition resumes and, while Jose Mourinho’s men avoided the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus in the draw, Valencia admits Sevilla will still prove tough opponents.

“When you get to this stage of the competition, teams who are still in it are there for a reason so we know Sevilla will be a real challenge. Whenever we’ve played against Spanish opposition in the past, they have always been set up very well and they’re very strong tactically,” he explained. “We go to their place first and we know we’ll have to perform just how Manchester United can perform and, if we get a good result over there, hopefully we can bring them back to Old Trafford and do the business and qualify.

“There are no easy games in the last 16 and I’ve said before that, whichever team plays against Manchester United, is always motivated and it’s the same in Europe. They give that extra little bit of themselves to perform even better than they would normally. We know it will be quite difficult going there and they’ll want to give a good account of themselves in front of their own supporters.

“It’s quite a way off but let’s hope, when we get to that game, we’re in good form and we can make sure we go and get a good result. I think both legs will be quite entertaining affairs.”