Daily Star Sunday

TITLE’S THE JUAN I Spanish ace gets chills WANT! hoping for a Prem win

- ■ by PAUL HETHERINGT­ON

JUAN MATA returns to Chelsea today with his heart set on experienci­ng the “goosebumps” feeling of winning the Premier League with Manchester United.

The Spain midfielder has had a successful career with both clubs, winning seven trophies in England.

That haul includes the Champions League with Chelsea five years ago.

But Mata, 29, has not won the Premier League – and his big career ambition now is to achieve that with United.

Mata said: “I have been here at United a few years now and won four trophies but I would love to win the Premier League here.

“That’s because the reaction of the fans when we won the FA Cup and Europa League was incredible.

“Just imagining those supporters celebratin­g winning the Premier League gives me goosebumps.

“I would love to do it for them. To win a big trophy is what I want and what I would love – we all would.”

To win the Premier League United would have to dethrone champions Chelsea and overhaul neighbours Manchester City, who are at home to Arsenal today.

Mata said: “I’d prefer it if City weren’t in the position they are in but you have to think about yourself and your own games.

“If you don’t do that, if you care too much about what others do, then it doesn’t matter if they lose if you aren’t winning your own matches.

“It has to be first things first and that’s thinking about us.”

Mata insists that this is a different United to the one thumped 4-0 at Chelsea last season.

He said: “It is different in so many ways. There are so many new players and we are in a different position in the table. And obviously, we will go there with more confidence this time because of the way we are competing and getting results.

“Any game is totally different from last season to this one – that is the past.

“But we have a clear mind. We don’t want the same kind of game as last time and we are going there to win.”

Mata, however, accepts that Chelsea will be a wounded animal after their 3-0 defeat in midweek at Roma in the Champions League.

He said: “The only way that will affect the game is that they will come out with more intensity and an even stronger will to win and be very intense from the beginning.

“This is a totally different game but it is one everyone loves playing in – and hopefully we will get the win.”

And Mata points out that United have reacted well to their shock defeat at Huddersfie­ld, which provoked a furious reaction from manager Jose Mourinho.

The United midfielder added: “Three wins and three clean sheets was what we needed after the Huddersfie­ld game.

“We needed to keep playing and be competing like we have been doing since the start of the season.

“We have done that over a 10-day period. We did it again against Benfica last Tuesday night and we will arrive at Chelsea with our minds on carrying on.

“It will be difficult because Chelsea are a tough side to play but we will try.

“I have seen the manager a few times when he has been very angry. He just hates to lose.

“It was one of those days but we as players were angry about our own performanc­e. At times like that we need to keep going and show, when we lose, that we are a team.

“That’s easy when you win but you have to stick together and show it even more when you lose – and we have done that.”

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