The Red Devils, who at one stage appeared likely to go the entire league campaign unbeaten, have recently seen their lead at the top of the standings reduced to three points following defeats at Wolves, Chelsea and Liverpool.
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However, Hernandez, who has netted 14 goals in his debut season in English football including two in United’s last victory at Wigan, insists the mood in the camp is still good.
“The mood is good. We’ve discussed what went wrong and what we can improve upon, and now we’re looking ahead,” he says in the matchday programme for United’s FA Cup clash with Arsenal.
“Everyone here – the manager, players and all the staff – is determined to respond, and what better way to do so than with a cup tie back at Old Trafford against a big team like Arsenal? We want to win not only to progress in the cup, but also to give us confidence for the league and Champions League. This is the crucial part of the season and we’re all looking forward to it.”
Having most recently met Liverpool and Chelsea, United now face another heavyweight in Arsenal, with Arsene Wenger’s Gunners currently posing the greatest threat to the Red Devils’ league title hopes, with just three points separating the sides.
But Hernandez has played down the significance of Saturday’s clash in terms of the pair’s pursuit for the league title, stating that it is simply another game that the players want to win.
“We want to win every game, no matter who it’s against, and we respect all our rivals. I don’t know if victory will give either team a psychological advantage for the league battle, but I do know that our last two results have given us all the determination we need today,” he says.
“And winning this game is important to give the club the chance of lifting the FA Cup again – something all the players want to do this season. We can’t wait to play again and try to end the week on a high.”
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side are playing at Old Trafford for the first time since scraping past non-league Crawley Town in the FA Cup Fifth Round on February 19, having since travelled to take on Marseille, Wigan, Chelsea and Liverpool.
Hernandez is looking forward to playing in front of United’s home faithful once again.
“It’ll be great to play in front of all our fans again, who will hopefully give us an advantage against a tough rival."
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Read Javier Hernandez’s interview in full in Saturday's edition of United Review ahead of the Red Devils' FA Cup Sixth Round tie with Arsenal at Old Trafford, priced at £3 in and around the ground. To subscribe, call 08456 777801 or visit www.themagazineshop.com
