But the United boss bemoaned a host of squandered chances that would have put the game beyond doubt.
Newspaper review - Wednesday 3 December
We have to kill games off much earlier
Louis van Gaal
"Of course it was a relief - we have to kill games off much earlier," he said. "We had some big chances, (Ander) Herrera in the first half and Fellaini and (James) Wilson in the second.
"If we had scored one of those, the game would have been over.
"But, when the scores are close and you have the likes of (Peter) Crouch coming on to face long balls, the ball can fall anywhere so we were lucky towards the end. I think we deserved to win."
Five of United's last six victories have witnessed one-goal winning margins.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy