Mata celebrates as Robin van Persie gives Manchester United the lead just six minutes into the Spaniard's debut.
The Spaniard played 85
minutes of United's 2-0 victory over Cardiff City before being
substituted to a standing ovation following a promising debut.
"It was a very special
day for me. My first game -- my debut -- with a victory. It was perfect.
I enjoyed it a lot," Mata told Manchester United's in-house media company MUTV.
"What I love most is to
play. So these minutes [on the pitch] are very important. Now I'm going
to train and I'm looking forward to playing at the weekend and trying to
do my best for the team."
Signed for a club record
$61 million, Mata -- who trained with his new team-mates for the first
time on Monday following his move from Chelsea -- had a hand in United's
opening goal.
It came as he swept a
diagonal ball out to Ashley Young, whose cross was eventually turned in
by Robin van Persie after Antonio Valencia's header hit the crossbar.
The Dutchman had needed just six minutes to score after making his first start since December 10 following a thigh problem.
Young doubled the lead in
the second half as United ensured that the return of 1999 Champions
League winning legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, now in charge of Cardiff, to
Old Trafford was not a happy one.
United's victory enabled
them to close the gap on sixth-placed Everton, who were thumped 4-0 by
city rivals Liverpool as Daniel Sturridge (2), Luis Suarez and Steven
Gerrard gave the home fans a night to remember.
The misery for Blues
boss Roberto Martinez was compounded when Romelu Lukaku was forced off
the field on a stretcher after a worrying injury to his ankle.
Dropped Points
Another manager who may
be feeling a little unease is Arsene Wenger, whose Arsenal side lost two
potentially crucial points at Southampton in a 2-2 draw.
The Gunners' coach was
held up in traffic ahead of the game and the team also struggled to go
through the gears, trailing 1-0 at halftime following a lackluster 45
minutes.
Goals from Olivier
Giroud and Santi Cazorla turned the game on its head, but Adam Lallana
replied for the hosts to ensure that the match finished 2-2.
Arsenal still lead the
Premier League but the draw means second-placed Manchester City can
climb above them should Manuel Pellegrini's free-scoring side win at
Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
Chelsea can also climb above Arsenal on Wednesday, should Jose Mourinho's side beat West Ham at home by more than two goals.
In Tuesday's other
games, Swansea and Crystal Palace recorded much-needed wins -- at home
to Fulham (2-0) and Hull (1-0) respectively -- while Norwich hosted
Newcastle in a goalless encounter that featured a red card apiece for
both sides.
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