Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal insists they were worthy winners against Liverpool.

Goals from Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Robin van Persie gave the Reds an emphatic result over the club's historic rivals from Merseyside. But a string of saves at crucial times during the match from David De Gea proved to be vital in the final analysis, leading van Gaal to urge his players to perform better when a seventh straight win is sought at Aston Villa next Saturday.

"Today, I thought we were the better team, and we deserved to win," said the manager. "So, it wasn't the same as the Southampton game - we pressed more from the front, and that was the key.

"It's a process. It's important that we win the games, because it makes the players believe in the philosophy. But, we have to improve and I'm saying that to them every week. When that's no longer the case, I'll be pleased. I hope [this win provides a platform], but now Aston Villa becomes our most important match. Every game in this league is difficult to win."

De Gea's brilliance helped preserve a clean sheet, but despite the result, the manager was unhappy that his goalkeeper was called into action so often.

"We gave the ball away too easily, especially in the second half when we were leading. There was a lot of space out there, but we still gave the ball away, so I'll speak to the players about that when we evaluate the game tomorrow."