Goalscorer Juan Mata felt an increased tempo to Manchester United’s play was the key to their Emirates FA Cup fourth round win at Derby County.
United have been sluggish in recent weeks, struggling to score in the first half of games, and have been urged forwards by their supporters with shouts of “attack, attack, attack” regularly heard at Old Trafford.
But there was nothing pedestrian about them at the iPro Stadium as Wayne Rooney curled in a brilliant 16th-minute opener.
Derby 1-3 Man Utd
Emirates FA Cup
Fourth Round
7.55pm, Friday 29 January
iPro Stadium, Derby County FC
Winning club will receive £90,000
by Joshua Richards
And though they were pegged back by a George Thorne goal against the run of play, Daley Blind and Mata struck to send United into the last 16.
Mata said: "It was really important for us.
"It is not easy to come to Derby, even though they are not in the Premier League.
"They are a good team, they press, they are physically very strong and we did a good job.
"We came here to play football. We played much quicker than the last games, we scored three goals and had more chances to score. It was a good performance."
Only Arsenal have lifted The FA Cup more times (12) than Manchester United.
But an open-top bus parade has not circled the streets of Old Trafford since they won the trophy for an 11th time with a 3-0 win over Millwall in Cardiff in 2004.
On Sunday afternoon United, together with the rest of the last 16, will learn the identity of their fifth round opponents.
But Mata is refusing to look too far ahead.
The Spain midfielder added: "I know it’s been a few years since the last time Manchester United won it, but we have to focus on each round.
"We did a good job and we look forward to the next game."
