Melbourne Victory boss Arthur Diles has waxed lyrical over the Round 11 performance of Player of the Match Juan Mata.
The Spaniard was at the heart of Victory’s attacking excellence as they came from behind to beat Perth Glory 3-1, recording a second triumph of the 2025/26 Isuzu UTE A-League season over the Western Australians.
Mata, who netted in October’s reverse fixture success, laid on Nishan Velupillay’s go-ahead goal from a pinpoint corner delivery on Friday night, after Louis D’Arrigo had equalised Trent Ostler’s opener during first-half injury-time, before the 2010 World Cup winner effortlessly teed up Santos’ second strike in two matches as a fourth win on the bounce was achieved.
The 37-year-old, alongside Adelaide United’s Yaya Dukuly, leads the A-League Men’s assist rankings and has created more chances than any other player in the competition this term.
Speaking during his post-match press conference, Diles ran the rule over Mata’s latest star showing for the Boys in Blue.
“He’s beautiful to watch. We get to watch him every day at training; people only get to watch him on game day. It’s a delight to watch him on a daily basis because what he does in the game, he does every day.
“It’s no different for him, whether it’s Monday, Friday, Thursday, minus one game day, he’s the same player every day, with the same mentality, the same work ethic.
“I’d like for him to score, because he came close tonight. That’s the icing on the cake for him. But as long as he keeps assisting, the team will be better, and he’s enjoying himself.”
The quartet of consecutive wins have all come at AAMI Park, with Victory building significant momentum during a month-long unbeaten stretch, which has propelled them up the ladder and into fifth position.
This has been inspired by unwavering, vocal backing from the stands, including when Diles’ side were brought to 3-2 by a Khoa Ngo finish in the closing stages against Perth, and the Head Coach is determined to keep delivering for the loyal supporters, starting when Western Sydney Wanderers visit next weekend.
“It’s a beautiful place when you’re winning here at AAMI Park in front of these fans. It’s amazing.
“I know what this club represents. I know what this club expects. I know what these fans expect, and we’ve got to do everything it takes every week to make sure we live up to that expectation.
“When we do that, we know we’re on the right path. And today’s another step forward, which is important, and we’ve got to keep building.”
Watch Diles’ full press conference below.
