United In Cruise Control

Manchester United are flying high at the moment. A comfortable win against Ipswich last week, a return to the Premier League summit and a hard-fought victory against Wolfsburg yesterday evening has made it a quite remarkable week for Louis Van Gaal's men. If you had told any Manchester United fan at the beginning of the season that they would be top of the table at the start of October, they would have probably bitten your hand off but at the same time would have urged you to be realistic. It is very early days, but the quality and potential that the Old Trafford side are showing, particularly since the capture of 19-year-old forward Anthony Martial, is extremely promising and exciting for everyone associated with the club. With Chelsea's faltering start and back-to-back Premier League defeats for neighbours City, United are starting to sense and believe that this could be their year.

Luke Shaw's devastating injury and disappointing defeats to Swansea and PSV Eindhoven have been the only real dampeners on United's season so far. Without playing extremely well, United have started to pick up the victories and the points they need to gradually become serious title contenders. The next three games are crucial, starting with Sunday's trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal. If Van Gaal and co can come through the next few matches relatively unscathed, then this new-look United side can start believing that the Premier League title is there for the taking. The players have the perfect manager for making sure that their feet are firmly on the ground and that they don't get carried away, but even the Dutchman himself will know in the back of his mind that his side have the potential and the quality to challenge until the end. Keeping the squad fully fit and injury-free is going to be the key to a successful campaign. If United are still there or thereabouts come Christmas, then the feeling around Old Trafford is going to be electric. The fans will start to believe again. Van Gaal and his players are building up a head of steam. Can anyone stop them?

Old Trafford is slowly beginning to feel like a fortress again