Juan Mata might have been left on the bench by Louis van Gaal in the last few matches, but the Manchester United playmaker showed exactly what he can do when played as an attacking midfielder.
Van Gaal had played Mata mostly on the right wing this season, and the Spaniard has struggled to find his feet in that position so far. However, with Fellaini suspended for this match, the manager decided to field the 28 year old in his favourite centre attacking midfield position.
That seemed to do the trick as Mata found some space in the box to turn a Wayne Rooney layoff into the goal. This goal was enough to give Manchester United a 1-0 lead and take them to within one point of the top four. Here is a video of the goal.
