Nemanja Matic has challenged Manchester United's forward players to be more clinical and keep deciding games.
Marcus Rashford's brace and an Anthony Martial goal looked to have settled United's game against Sheffield United, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side produced some stunning football at times in South Yorkshire.
But after an early David McGoldrick goal and a late ricochet off the same player gave United a late scare, it finished 3-2. And United fans were left asking why it got so tense late on at Bramall Lane
"In the Premier League it's always like this, I'm afraid! Every team has quality and it takes one mistake to punish you," Matic told MUTV.
"But in the end 3-2 and three points is the most important thing.
"We always like to do it in a difficult way. I don't know if it's a coincidence but most important, as I said, is the three points that take us closer to the top. And hopefully we'll continue in this way to win games and fight for the title."
Matic was then asked directly whether he sees United as realistic challengers for the league. They are five points off leaders Liverpool with a game in hand after a 10th successive away win in the Premier League.
"I think so [that United are in the title race]," he responded. "Because if we continue this way, I always like to say, if you want to win a title you have to win five or six consecutive games, then maybe you can drop some points for one or two games.
"We have to be focussed on the next game because for us every game is a final, every one is a game of our life. We're playing every three days but we're lucky we have a big squad and everyone is ready. I'm very confident."
He then challenged the likes of Rashford, Martial and Bruno Fernandes to continue their recent good form going forward to decide games and keep United's title dreams alive.
Matic added: "Up front they played some amazing football, we scored some very nice goals. But that's exactly what you expect from them. That's why they're Man United players. They have to resolve the games, they have to make the game more easy for us, to score goals, to create. So I'm not surprised."
