Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has set his sights on a top-two finish after another impressive performance from the Red Devils, which saw them move five points ahead of Liverpool after a dominant victory at Anfield.
On the back of a 3-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, in which the North Londoners were embarrassed by the Dutchman’s side, the Manchester outfit continued their fine form in a historic clash.
An action-packed 90 minutes saw Juan Mata sparkle with two goals, while Steven Gerrard saw red just 40 seconds after making an appearance from the bench. Despite Wayne Rooney’s late penalty miss, fans are optimistic as the Reds pile the pressure on Arsenal and Manchester City, in third and second respectively.
Following the match, van Gaal suggested he feels his side can now push to finish second despite the criticism for poor form received at the start of the season.
"I'm very happy that we've won and that we've opened up a gap from the teams below us," he said. "We can still look up and finish second. It is a significant win because we're five points ahead of Liverpool now but, if we'd lost, we would have been a point behind them. The win is very important."
With Spaniard Mata claiming the Man of the Match award, the manager also praised the former Chelsea midfielder for his involvement against top-four rivals Liverpool and Tottenham.
He continued: "Mata was also very good last week [against Tottenham], and I wasn't going to change my best player. When you play well, you shall always play. Mata has confirmed again today what he can do.”
His first experience of the United-Liverpool rivalry away from home, the 63-year-old acknowledged his enjoyment from the occasion – which sets them eight points behind league leaders after their late winner against Hull City.
"I liked the atmosphere, our fans and, of course, the start of the game. But the win is important not only for the fans, but for me too!" he continued. "I'm very pleased for the fans, we've beaten Liverpool twice [in the league] now, so I'm very happy. I'm most excited about beating Liverpool today, it's a very important moment."
Manchester United could settle their place in second with the upcoming Manchester derby at Old Trafford on April 12.