Point to prove! Three impressive Juan Mata stats at United

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Mata could not stop Manchester United losing to Stoke but he was one of their better performers…

When a club pays £37 million for you, it’s easy to feel wanted, but for Juan Mata his joy at his United switch will have been tinged with regret that he was surplus to requirements at Chelsea.

The Spaniard was reduced to a fringe player under Jose Mourinho, who raised questions over whether he was a luxury or not, and made clear he preferred Oscar in the number 10 role.

He may not admit it, but that’s bound to grind at Mata, and for United it can only be a good thing as it will give him an extra point to prove at his new club.

Despite their loss at the weekend, Mata was one of the more impressive performers, providing an assist for Robin van Persie’s goal.

As he gets his United career off to a mixed overall start, here are three examples of how individually, he looks to have settled right away…

1) Juan Mata won more tackles (4) against Stoke City for Manchester United than he has done in any match this season for his new club or for Chelsea.

2) Juan Mata has made seven times as many key passes in two league games for Manchester United as Marouane Fellaini has done in eight.

3) Since joining United, Mata has averaged more accurate passes per game than any of his teammates who have played in both matches against Cardiff City and Stoke City:

While the loss to Stoke will have left no United fans smiling, the fact new signing Mata is showing positive signs of settling straight into life at the club is at least reason to be upbeat.

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