Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has admitted that his side "needed" their 3-1 victory over Swansea City on Sunday.

The Red Devils swept their hosts aside in the first half at the Liberty Stadium, racing into a three-goal lead to all but kill the game off before half time.

The win saw United end a run of just one league victory in seven, and Mata is hopeful that it will be the start of a more consistent spell for Jose Mourinho's side.

"The team needed a win like this one. We went to play Swansea with a need to recover once again after a negative result during the week, as we showed from the kickoff," he wrote in his blog on the club's official website.

"We have to find that consistency in the scores to approach the top positions of the table, and I'm sure we will be close to that goal if we are so focused and play with such intensity as we did this Sunday. The score was important, but also how we got it, in my opinion. We had a great first half, controlling the game through the ball, and we were very efficient with our chances, so at the end we won and this is the best possible way to face the international break.

"Obviously, Swansea got better in the second half and they tried to put us in trouble, but despite their goal I think we showed character to keep the three points. It's a boost of confidence ahead of our next game in the Premier League, against Arsenal in Old Trafford, one of those games that everyone likes to play."

United now sit eighth in the Premier League table, eight points adrift of league leaders Liverpool.