Manchester United are not interested in derailing Liverpool’s title challenge on Sunday, says Juan Mata.
The Reds will return to the Premier League summit if they avoid defeat at Old Trafford in a game which is live on talkSPORT.
Liverpool beat United 3-1 in their last meeting in December, a defeat that ended Jose Mourinho’s turbulent reign.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has won 11 of his 13 games in temporary charge and guided the club into the top four since replacing the Portuguese.
Red Devils midfielder Mata said: “We see it in a different way, which is we’re trying to stay in these top four positions.
“We got there after a very good run in the last months. Honestly it felt quite difficult to do it, if you asked me two months ago.
“But we are there now, and we want to keep that position by winning, and obviously we’ll have to play against Liverpool and Manchester City, and both are fighting for the title with Tottenham, so let’s see what happens.
“But obviously what we want is to win every game and especially against the big teams.”
Solskjaer has a perfect record against the top six – beating Tottenham in the league and dumping Arsenal and Chelsea out of the FA Cup.
But a win over arch rivals Liverpool would be his biggest yet.
Mata, whose memorable brace secured a 2-1 win at Anfield in 2015, knows how big the rivalry is between the two clubs.
He added: “Since I arrived in Manchester, I felt this was the big game.
“Liverpool-United, United-Liverpool – everyone is waiting for those derbies, and you can feel it in the build-up to the game.
“During the week, everyone is speaking about it, everyone is thinking about it. We will try to make it very special.
“Obviously when you win and you’re in a good run of results, everyone is happier. It gives you more confidence to play even better.
“That’s what we’re living right now, and that’s what we want to keep until the end of the season – this positive momentum.”