Manchester United fullback Rafael da Silva says they won't lose focus after going 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Rafael says the players are determined not to look too far ahead after the experience of last season, when United relinquished an eight-point lead with six games remaining.

"We just have to stay focused and play as we have been doing," the Brazilian told MUTV. "We know what happened last year but we have a lot of experienced players here so we'll look to keep improving and keep playing well.

"[Sunday] was a very important win. Everyone talked about us losing the title against Everton last season, so we all worked hard to beat them. It was good to keep a clean sheet but the most important thing at this stage is the points."