Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has claimed that the team deserves to be top of the Premier League table following their start to the season.

Louis van Gaal's side are a point clear of local rivals Manchester City at the summit following the 3-0 win over Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday, in which Mata scored the third.

"These are happy days. That's the feeling I've had during the entire week, since things have gone pretty well lately," the Spaniard wrote in his weekly blog.

"It's only the start of the season, but I believe that we deserve to enjoy such a good moment like this, and keep training hard to extend the good streak for a long time.

"As we can see, the day-to-day work is paying off, and I'm also happy for all of you, of course. It's been a long time since you have experienced a situation like this and we hope to keep giving you a good vibe."

United travel to Arsenal on Sunday.