Juan Mata admitted Manchester United's players owed their fans a big win after disappointing them too often this season.
United's 4-0 rout of Norwich took them back up to fifth and kept them within five points of fourth-placed Chelsea in the battle for a Champions League spot.
Defeats to Crystal Palace , West Ham , Newcastle , Bournemouth , Watford and Arsenal , as well as dropped points in seven other games, have undermined United's progress this season.
Despite that, United remain in touching distance of fourth spot and a return to the Champions League, with Mata, who set up two of their goals, admitting an emphatic win was long overdue.
“It was one of those days I enjoyed being on the pitch and we all did,” said Mata. “I think the fans will be happy.
“That's important for us because, we have to be honest, we have given them some disappointments this season that they don’t deserve.
“But I think, today, they'll be happy and that's important to me.
“It was a good performance and a performance that we needed."
Mata, speaking to MUTV, added: “It's a performance we can look at, see how we can play and make sure we play like that on a more consistent basis.
“We have to try to bring that feeling for the next game against Wolves in the FA Cup replay on Wednesday and in the Premier League against Liverpool at Anfield, which is a big one.”
