Mata expects strong response from angry United

MANCHESTER: Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata admits his team-mates are furious after dropping two points at Leicester City, but he hopes they can channel that frustration into a strong response against Burnley today. Jose Mourinho’s side were stunned by a late goal from 10-man Leicester in a 2-2 draw that saw United fall a staggering 13 points behind leaders Manchester City at the halfway stage of the campaign.

Mourinho angrily spoke of missing “joke chances” and “childish” errors from his players after Saturday’s draw. But Mata, who scored both United goals in an excellent personal display, hopes his side responds positively to the frustration of the evening at the King Power Stadium. “You have to keep going. It’s Christmas time, you play every two or three days obviously,” Mata said. “Now we feel frustrated and angry but we need to keep going and, from tomorrow, rest and think about the next game and have the will of finishing the next game with a much better feeling.

“We got a point but it feels like a defeat because we were so close to winning, had chances to kill the game and they were with one less player.” Mata put United 2-1 ahead with a superbly-taken free-kick and revealed afterwards that his goal celebration was a dedication to Indian children with whom his charitable foundation Common Goal works. “It was because when the kids from the Oscar Foundation-one of the foundations we work with-came to Old Trafford to visit me they asked if I could do this kind of ‘namaste’ celebration for them,” explained Mata.—AFP