Monday, 3rd February, 2014
Juan Mata is convinced that Manchester United did not deserve to lose at Stoke City on Saturday.
In windy conditions at the Britannia Stadium, the champions went down to a 2-1 defeat, while they also lost starting defensive pair Phil Jones and Jonny Evans to injury.
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It marked an end of the feel-good factor generated by Mata's debut and the club's subsequent 2-0 win over Cardiff City in midweek.
And Mata feels the Red Devils did not deserve to taste defeat against Stoke, the occasion being the first time the Potters had beaten them since 1984.
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"The week started with a victory against Cardiff. It was my first game with United, and it was in Old Trafford. I can assure you that I will never forget that night", he wrote on his personal site.
"The reception from the fans was unbelievable. And the ovation when I was substituted, amazing. You get goose bumps…
"Unfortunately, we didn’t win our second game of the week, in Stoke.
"It’s a tricky stadium, and the wind was not a good help to play football, but I honestly think we didn't deserve to lose.
"We were really unlucky with their first goal, and it reflects what the game was. We tied the score and we felt we could win, but right afterwards we conceded a second goal in a divided ball.
"We had good chances, yet we couldn’t score. We went back home with no points, feeling that we just can’t lose this kind of game again."
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