Louis van Gaal: Manchester United can still win the Premier League title

Henderson concedes that results need to improve, but says the current squad have time to impress before the end of the season and need to take the opportunity.

“David is a very important player in our squad”, the United midfielder told MUTV.

Wayne Rooney’s powerfully struck 78th-minute victor lifted United to 37 points, seven behind Arsenal and Leicester City, the joint leaders.

“Altogether, he had a few good saves, we had some not-that-good finishes and they had one good finish – 1-0”. The 30-year-old is also just seven goals shy of Sir Bobby Charlton’s goal scoring record of 249, and is fully expected to surpass that number this season.

“We had a lot of these situations in the first half and the second half, so we had our chances but we could have had more if we would have done this better”.

“We have to continue, which is not so easy, but we can do it”.

“In the second-half we played much better and kept the ball better and created chances and Wayne Rooney makes the fantastic goal again”. We started 2016 very well with a lot of wins, and we haven’t lost. “In the second half, we showed our way of playing and we can score out of every situation”.

“I don’t think it’s a very worse (bad) injury, but we have to wait and see because I am not a doctor”, said the Dutchman.

Goalkeepers were on top at Britannia Stadium, too, with Stoke’s Jack Butland and Arsenal’s Petr Cech getting most of the plaudits after a tight, tense game.

“He’s hugely experienced. He’s worked with some of the biggest clubs in the world and he’s won big games”.

Meanwhile, Stoke manager Mark Hughes, whose side ended the weekend in seventh place, was heartened by his team’s latest impressive display against one of the Premier League’s leading clubs.

Van Gaal added: “It is a fantastic win for the fans, for me and the players and it will give us a boost, and maybe in that perspective you are right”.

In Saturday’s match, Aston Villa’s Rudy Gestede prevented Leicester City pulling three points clear in the Premier League. “Creating chances was good, but our finishing was not”.

“Set-play (Rooney’s goal) was unlucky because we changed some players before – I had to change two positions for defending set plays”, he said.