Manchester United: Antonio Valencia apologises to teammates and fans following FA Cup exit

Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia has apologised to his teammates after his mistakes led to both Arsenal goals during their 2-1 loss to the Gunners in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

The FA Cup was United's last hope for a trophy and with their exit at the hands of Arsenal, Louis van Gaal can fully concentrate on his main priority for the season, which is to finish in the top four and qualify for next season's Champions League.

The winger, playing as a wing-back for his team on the day, put in a poor tackle that allowed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to find Nacho Monreal for the first goal. In the second-half it was his back pass that set up Danny Welbeck for his winner.

The Ecuadorian was heavily criticised by fans and pundits alike for his performance against the Gunners, but was surprisingly praised by Van Gaal, who proclaimed the winger to be United's best player on the pitch.

However, the player has acknowledged his errors and written an apology to the fans and his teammates on his Instagram account. He is also ready to move on from the loss and keep working hard for the rest of the season.

"I want to apologise to my team-mates and the fans of Manchester United," Valencia wrote on Instagram, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

"Tomorrow is another day and keep working," the Ecuadorian winger added.

Premier League action is back this weekend and United welcome Tottenham to Old Trafford in a crucial clash as both teams are in the race for a place in the top four.

Valencia could find his place under threat after his poor showing against the north London club and to compound his problems, Rafael, who is his backup, put in a sublime performance during his 90-minute run out for the United U21's on Tuesday night against the Spurs U21 side.