Manchester United Star Juan Mata Thanks Chelsea Fans for Their Special Reception

Juan Mata has thanked Chelsea fans for their supportive reception during the Manchester United 1-1 draw against his former club on Sunday 26 October.

Having being a favourite at Stamford Bridge during two-and-a-half seasons at the west London club, winning the Chelsea player of the season award twice, the Spaniard moved to Old Trafford during the last January transfer window in a £37.1m deal after falling out of favour with Jose Mourinho.

The Spanish maestro faced his former club for the first time since his departure on Sunday, describing the game as "very intense and special" while thanking both the Blues and the United fans for their support.

"As always, the atmosphere in Old Trafford was spectacular. Your support this season is vital," Mata said in his weekly blog.

"It's worth mentioning the Chelsea fans in Old Trafford; their affection comforts me and, as I have said so many times, I will always feel grateful to them and to the club. I feel there is mutual respect and this is very important for me in all aspects of life.

"As you can imagine, this has been a very intense day for me. A Sunday full of emotions because of the big game against Chelsea. Facing them for the first time was special and the match, very even in my opinion, was tense until the last minute,"

The Blues took the lead through Didier Drogba but Robin van Persie equalised in stoppage time to secure a point for Manchester United.

"I think we had a good first half but we weren't able to take our chances. In the second half, after Drogba's goal, they took control of the game for some time but in the last stage we pushed hard and managed to equalise," Mata said.

"The truth is I felt very comfortable on the pitch and it was nice to meet again friends and former team-mates after all these months. In the end, when you are on the pitch, you concentrate on doing your job to help your team and you must be absolutely focused on that.

Mata hints United finished the game with a bittersweet taste as even though they managed to secure a point, he believes the Old Trafford club deserved more after their impressive first-half.

"In short, a point that wasn't much at half-time was celebrated and deserved at the end of the game," he said. "However, I'm sure that we will get better and better and we will climb to the main spots, where United deserves to be. My aim is to work day after day in order to help the team get to its goals.

"Another big game awaits us the next weekend, this time against our Manchester rivals."