Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has claimed that his team were "lucky" to beat Everton on Sunday.

The one-goal victory for the Red Devils kept them in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Premier League, but Van Gaal has conceded that his side were fortunate to overcome the Toffees.

"I think it was more or less a stolen victory because we didn't play so well. It looked like we were not fresh enough in spite of the days we had to prepare our match," Van Gaal told Sky Sports News. "I'm happy with the victory and it was a fantastic goal, but we were today lucky.

"They played a little bit different than we have expected. We had to change how we played but still we have played much better against other teams. When you lose today the victory against City is worthless. We are still in the race and have a very important game against Tottenham."

Man United will continue their pursuit of a Champions League finish when they travel to title-challenging Tottenham Hotspur next weekend.