Juan Mata has urged his Manchester United teammates to respond positively to their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Swansea City on Saturday afternoon.

The loss saw Arsenal leapfrog United into third place, with just four points now separating the five teams currently battling it out for the final two Champions League places.

With that in mind, Mata has insisted that the Red Devils have no time to dwell on their slip-up at the Liberty Stadium.

"Now we must stand up again, look ahead and make it up to our fans the next weekend in Old Trafford against Sunderland," the Spaniard wrote on his blog.

"As I keep saying every week, and now even more, it is vital to win games. Our main rivals don't slow down and the race for the Champions League spots is closer than ever.

"We are approaching the most important moment of the season and we must deliver in order to get our goals."

The loss against Swansea was only the second that United have suffered in 20 outings.