Michael Carrick has backed his Manchester United teammates to sustain their stellar form and claw themselves into contention for the Premier League title.

United thrashed Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford last weekend for what was their sixth successive victory to leave them eight points adrift of leaders Chelsea.

Manager Louis van Gaal was expected to deliver Champions League qualification at a bare minimum in his maiden season, but Carrick says that the Red Devils cannot settle for a top-four finish.

"I don't want to say we are going to win the league, but certainly at this point, it is what we are aiming to do," he told The Telegraph. "We are not just looking to be happy for top three or top four.

"We want to be looking, over Christmas and into January, to be up there and then taking it from there. But winning the league has to be the aim.

"At this stage of the season, we are exactly where I think we should be and talking to the lads, we have that mentality that we want, and expect, to be challenging. It's not a case of thinking that third is great because we have improved.We are looking past that and want to be challenging right up at the top."

United, who won just five points from a possible 15 at the beginning of the season, travel away to Aston Villa tomorrow afternoon.