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| Juan Mata believes Manchester United can be serious Premier League title contenders this season |
JUAN MATA points to three key reasons why Manchester United will be serious Premier League title challengers this season.
One is David de Gea's return to the team, the second is the arrival of Anthony Martial and the third is the managerial philosophy of Louis van Gaal.
It is estimated goalkeeper De Gea saved United 18 points last season as they finished fourth and returned to the Champions League.
Now following the collapse of his move to Real Madrid, Mata believes De Gea heroics can win United the title this season - he's already saved them two points with his instinctive save from Southampton skipper Jose Fonte on Sunday.
"You could see the difference David makes at Southampton," said Mata. "He is a goalkeeper that gives you points.
"As I friend I can only say that I wish only the best for him. I feel he is happy now and he is playing at his best level again which is the most important thing for himself and the team.
"We are very happy to have him back because he will give us a lot of points this season and our dream is to be fighting for the title until the final day this season."
Mata says the £36m signing of French wonder boy Anthony Martial has given them a striker who has the pace, power and eye for goal to give them a cutting edge.
He admits he has been astonished by the cool temperament and precocious skills of the 19-year-old.
"If you come from France to England you would normally need time to settle down - and then there is his age," said Mata. "But he is very calm and is someone who has managed the pressure very well.
"He doesn't just bring goals to the team, he brings many more things - he knows how to play off team-mates, he knows how to run in behind, how to head, he is quick and he can run deep.
"He is a very talented young player who is having a great moment. Hopefully, he can score many more goals which will be very good for us.
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| David de Gea is one of the three reasons why Mata believes United can challenge for the title |
"He is doing great. A striker needs confidence and to score in your first game, and then score four in four games will have a big impact on his confidence and for the team."
And, after a sometimes difficult year of transition under Van Gaal, the squad are reaping the benefits of the Dutchman's demanding methods.
"Every manager has his own way of working work," he said, "and obviously with him it is different than it was with any other manager. He said when he arrived that it was going to be difficult, especially at the beginning, but I think it is about time and getting used to his technical way of working.
"But this is our second year with him so it is normal and logical that we are understanding each other better, we know each other better, not just with him, but as a team as well on the pitch."
The 45-pass move that resulted in Mata striking United's third goal at Southampton provided some vindication of Van Gaal's possession-based philosophy.
Ahead of today's home game with bottom club Sunderland, Mata said: "It was a great example of a way of playing that in my understanding is about being dominant in the game, having possession but with a meaning, not just possession for possession's sake.
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| Juan Mata admitted he is astonished by Anthony Martial's temperament |
"I like to have possession to go forward and create chances and then try to kill the game which we did.
"Obviously if you are losing you cannot do that all the time because maybe you don't score. It depends on the situation. But that was a great example of how to manage a situation when you are winning away. You don't lose the ball and then you score the third goal."
Juan Mata was supporting the biggest grassroots football tournament in the country – the English Schools’ FA PlayStation Schools’ Cup. Since its launch, over 150,000 teams have been involved. Visit www.playstationschoolscup.com.
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