By JONATHAN SPENCER FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 07:43 EDT, 10 July 2020 | UPDATED: 07:43 EDT, 10 July 2020
United ran out 3-0 winners at Villa Park, thanks to goals from Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood and Paul Pogba – ensuring they became the first club in Premier League history to win four consecutive games by three goals or more.
Optimism is extremely high in the United camp after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 17 matches while they are still in the hunt for the FA Cup and Europa League.
And former United right back Neville believes his old side are getting their swagger back, but claims there is still a way to go until they reach the levels of Manchester City and Liverpool.
Speaking on the Gary Neville podcast, Neville hailed: ‘Manchester United are playing with confidence, arrogance, particularly against teams that are in the lower end of the table, teams they have struggled to break down in the past.
‘They look authoritative, they have possession, control and patience. They are so sure now that they can go from walking to injecting quality through Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Greenwood, Martial, Rashford. They have so many options and United are looking formidable.
‘They are still not there in terms of Manchester City and Liverpool, that is where they need to get to, but they are on an upward trajectory and are certainly looking a lot better than they were.
‘There is cause for optimism. You were thinking there wasn’t a midfield, that Pogba was going to leave, they didn’t have a right winger and all of a sudden Greenwood appears, the back four and goalkeeper have looked shaky at times, but they are getting themselves together.
‘It’s looking a lot more positive. It’s not a time to get carried away, it’s still a time to invest and improve the squad but it is a lot better for Solskjaer.’
United’s victory over Villa has left them breathing down the necks of both Leicester and Chelsea in the hunt for a Champions League spot.
Thanks to their brilliant form of late, United now sit just one point behind Leicester in fourth and two adrift of Chelsea in third with four matches remaining in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, United have all-but secured their passage to the Europa League quarter-finals, where they are likely to face either Istanbul Basaksehir or FC Copenhagen.
United hold a massive 5-0 lead over LASK Linz heading into second-leg of their last-16 clash at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils are also eyeing silverware in the FA Cup, in which they will meet Chelsea at Wembley on July 19 for a place in the final.
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