Former striker Dimitar Berbatov responded angrily when asked if Manchester United are in this season’s Premier League title race.

• Believes United are title contenders
• Urges them to be consistent
• Hails Ten Hag impact

WHAT HAPPENED? The Red Devils have enjoyed a resurgence under Erik ten Hag as they are now third in the league table with 46 points from 23 matches. They picked up a massive win against Leeds United on Sunday and now sit just five points behind leaders Arsenal, albeit having played two games more. It has been suggested that United are not realistic contenders for the Premier League trophy this season alongside Arsenal and City, but Berbatov thinks otherwise and has insisted that it is too early to make any big predictions.

WHAT THEY SAID: The former United striker has told Betfred. “For f*ck sake of course they are because they’re in third position at the moment. I’m happy to see them in the position they’re in and where they’re moving to, but especially in the case of Manchester United and Tottenham, consistency is the main quality you need if you want to be a champion because the Premier League is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to play consistently well and even when you’re not playing well on the day, you still need to figure out how to get the points. This is what all Premier League champions have done.

“It’s so interesting at the moment because you have Arsenal dropping points, Manchester City have been dropping points and Manchester United is crawling behind them and hoping to surprise everybody. In my opinion it’s too early to say who will win the Premier League title this season.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Berbatov is delighted with the way Ten Hag has transformed United into a formidable force once again in England. He believes that his former club are now heading in the “right direction” and feels it is just a matter of time before they reclaim the Premier League crown under the guidance of the Dutch manager.

“Imagine if it happened this season? I’m excited by what’s happening at the club because of how they’re developing, how they’re performing and how they’re getting better and better,” he added. “At the moment they’re moving in the right direction and I’d love to see them win the Premier League title under Erik ten Hag this season because we’ve seen a lot of crazy things in the Premier League. If they don’t win it this year, then hopefully they will win it next season because if they keep improving the team, then why can’t it happen? In the next few years, I want Manchester United to be where they deserve to be and that’s in the first place.”

IN THREE PHOTOS:

DID YOU KNOW? Berbatov won the Premier League title twice with Manchester United, in 2008-09 and 2010-11.

WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED? The Red Devils are set to take on Barcelona in the Europa League on Thursday before hosting Leicester City on Sunday in the Premier League.

Source: www.goal.com