Juan Mata wants Manchester United to keep playing 'great football' and continue unbeaten run

Midfielder pleased with display against Tottenham

(GETTY IMAGES)

Juan Mata has called on his Manchester United team-mates to ensure they continue their impressive recent form that has seen them go undefeated since the start of November.

The Red Devils were held to a goalless draw by Tottenham yesterday but can feel unfortunate at not having left White Hart Lane with three points after an impressive first half that Louis van Gaal said was the most impressive 45 minutes he has seen from his team all season.

Mata, who was among the stand-out players in a first period in which Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was is inspired form, would seem to agree with his manager.

"It has been a long time since we lost the last game, so we have to keep going and we have to keep playing the way we played in the first half. I think it was great football. We always try to get results," Mata told MUTV.

He continued: "I think we had enough chances to score one, maybe two goals. We were thinking [at half-time] that we should have scored and the manager said that.

"We should have rewarded ourselves. I think we wanted to win and we showed, mainly in the first half, that we could have won.

"In the second half they pressed more, they were more offensive and David [De Gea] made great saves as always.

"But I think both teams were more tired than in the first half and the game was a bit slower than in the first."

The result meant United failed to capitalise on draws for the two teams above them, Manchester City and Chelsea, and therefore remain 10 points behind the league leaders.

Next up is a trip to the Britannia Stadium to play Stoke, a fixture Mata concedes will be tough.

"It's a difficult stadium," he told MUTV. "It is very windy and it is cold, but we will try to play our football and come back to Manchester with three points."