Spanish midfielder's double against Liverpool suggests he is finally free from the burden of his £37m price-tag
Juan Mata arrived at Manchester United’s training ground in January last year in a helicopter. He wore a smart jacket with a silk handkerchief tucked in the breast pocket and looked every inch the Spanish aristocrat. His £37m fee broke United’s transfer record. Then it all went quiet.
Mata is a player the experts whisper about. But here at Anfield everyone was shouting about him instead as he restored the fantasy to United’s sometimes stodgy play. A lot will be written about the value of United’s 2-1 victory in a stadium where they seldom shine these days. The authoritative nature of their first-half display will feature a lot. But Mata’s creativity writes a more important headline, because it revived qualities United have let go of since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.