Manchester United slumped to their first Premier League loss of the season on Saturday at the hands of Huddersfield Town and Red Devils midfielder Juan Mata has issued a rallying cry to his teammates to regroup as they face a testing run of fixtures in the coming weeks.

“We were on a very positive run of results, but this weekend we didn’t play a good game and we came back home with no points. We knew this moment would arrive sooner or later, although that’s something you never wish, of course,” Mata wrote on his personal blog.

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Huddersfield, who have been impressive at the John Smith’ Stadium this season, raced into a two-goal lead against Jose Mourinho’s men and while Marcus Rashford would reduce the deficit in the second-half, the hosts held on to secure a memorable win.

“Now it’s time to learn from mistakes and keep going, as we always do, showing that the team sticks together when things don’t go so well, which is when we need it most. Since the European Super Cup last summer we’ve been performing really well against all kind of opponents,” Mata asserted as he added, “Last Saturday, though, Huddersfield played their cards better than us and took the three points. All we have to do now is congratulate them and carry on; this is a not a sprint but a marathon and there’s still a long way to go”.

United, who had beaten Portuguese side Benfica 1-0 in their UEFA Champions League game in mid-week to maintain their 100 per cent record in Europe, were heavy favourites to clinch beat the Terriers but were undone against a side that displayed plenty of grit.

“Let’s not forget that before that game we had got a solid win in Lisbon. We defeated a very good rival as Benfica, a team with plenty of experience in the Champions League. Standing on top of the group with nine points is something that definitely gives us confidence, and it says that we are doing well in many aspects,” the 29-year-old wrote.

United have a crucial week ahead of them for after travelling to Wales to face Swansea City in the Carabao Cup pre-quarters, they host a side that have been going from strength to strength in recent weeks-Tottenham Hotspur.

“Obviously the list of fixtures is very demanding, and our global result this season will depend on how we combine the different competitions we’re in, Mata ceded as he added, “This week, for instance, we have two more games. On Tuesday we’re back to the Carabao Cup. It’s against Swansea, a Premier League side, and we play away from home so it’s going to be a tough game but we are the reigning champions and we will try our best to win and keep moving forward”.

United, who trail leaders Manchester City by five points, cannot afford to draw or lose on Saturday. For after a 0-0 draw at Liverpool and loss to Huddersfield, the Red Devils are in danger of seeing their title hopes evaporate as City continue to rack up win after win.

Should United lose against Spurs, they will slip to third spot for the first time this season as the Lilywhites are currently level with them on points in the Premier League table.

“There’s another big game on the weekend, this time against Tottenham. We go back to Old Trafford after three games as visitors and it’s a very important match. They’re one of the most difficult teams to beat in the Premiership and also in the Champions League. It’s a key game for us to show again all the virtues we have been talking about over the last two months,” Mata noted.