Paul Scholes says Manchester United's position in the table shows they have the ability to be title challengers this season.
Their recent form has prompted plenty of talk about whether United can launch a challenge that was unexpected at the start of the season.
Some of United's players have been bullish about their chances and Scholes can see why.
Speaking on BT Sport, Scholes said United's performances earlier in the season were poor but argued that the fact they are still among the front runners shows they have what it takes to challenge.
The former United midfielder said he has been impressed with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side's recent performances, which show they can continue to improve.
"They’re just starting to come into form," Scholes said prior to United's game at Leicester. "You have to say, the first part of the season, they were really poor at times, had really bad results, especially at home, getting beaten by Arsenal, Crystal Palace and that disaster against Spurs, but they’re still right there.
“They win their game in hand, they go two points behind Liverpool, and it’s without playing well.
“These last two weeks, they’ve really started to look like a team again. They’ve really struggled to get the balance right in midfield, thinking about protecting their defensive players, but I think he’s found a way.
“The last couple of weeks they’ve played a 4-2-1-3 and it’s really suited them, they’ve looked really attacking, really exciting.
“It looks like they can score a lot of goals. They’re still giving chances away but so what? As long as a team can score goals they’ve got a chance.”
