Juan Mata's incredible goal stats

As cheery as he is effective, there is no mystery as to why Juan Mata is popular everywhere he goes.

Ibrahimovic sets new Premier League record

To an extent, even Jose Mourinho, who dropped him from the first-team at Chelsea and then prompted concerns over his future at Manchester United when he took over in the summer, has been won over by the attacking midfielder.

While Mata may not be a first-team regular, having started just 13 of the 19 games he has played in the Premier League, has had an influence on United's campaign.

He took his league goals tally this season up to five when he found the net in Sunday's 3-0 win over Leicester City, while he has two assists to his name. Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba have created more chances for the team than the Spain international, each having played four more games.

His consistency is nothing new, though, as since moving to England from Valencia in 2011, the 28-year-old has set himself apart from other midfielders in the league with his decisiveness and eye for a pass.

Misfiring Leicester equal 31-year top-flight low

According to Opta, Mata has been involved in 86 Premier League goals since his debut, scoring 44 and assisting 42, which is the highest goal involvement rate of any midfielder in the league in that time.

Sunday's victory also saw Mourinho's men stretch an impressive unbeaten run. They are now without defeat in their last 15 Premier League games; their longest run since March 2013, which ran 18 matches.