Mata: Leicester can wait a week

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata says Leicester City can wait another week for a Premier League triumph ahead of their clash at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The famous stadium has seen a many Premier League title triumphs, but none would be as unlikely as Leicester’s, should they clinch the title on United soil.

But Mata, while complimentary to Leicester’s feats this season, is determined to stop that from happening.

“They showed great character, commitment and passion,” said Mata.

“They are really close to doing it. But hopefully it doesn’t happen at Old Trafford. They can wait another week.”

United are desperate for the three points as they continue to fight for Champions League qualification, sitting four points behind third and fourth-placed Manchester City and Arsenal with four games to go and a game in hand on both their rivals.

And while all three sides would have expected to fight for the title, rather than just a top-four finish at the start of the season, Mata said it was good for football to see Leicester riding so high.

“It is good for football in a way because it is a little bit of fresh air. But my wish is that we were winning the league,” the Spain international added.

“We did not do well enough to win the title.

“Leicester can make their dreams come true. In the beginning of the season you could be surprised but after that, when you see the way they play and the way they defend. They play like a team and get results.”

With Leicester hogging the title glory for themselves, Mata said his team must focus on achieving the best possible result for their season – a top-four finish and an FA Cup triumph.

“If we don’t win every game, we will be depending on the other teams too much,” he said.

“Also, the club haven’t won the FA Cup for a few years.

“If we won that very special trophy and finished third or fourth, maybe the season is not as bad as it looked before. Hopefully we could build from that.”