Mikael Silvestre says there are only three teams who can win the Premier League title this season: Liverpool,Manchester United and Leicester City.
United went top of the table on Tuesday night after beating Burnley 1-0.
The Red Devils take on champions Liverpool next time out, and go into the match three points ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s side.
The result on the weekend could go some way to determining the outcome of this season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side genuine contenders.
Silvestre is confident both Liverpool and United will still be in the mix come the end of the campaign, but believes Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes are also in with a shout.
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The former Premier League defender told Ladbrokes: “For me there are only three teams in this year’s title race: Man United, Liverpool, and I’m going to put Leicester in there as well.
“It’s a wide-open season and it’s good for Man United to be in the race instead of playing catch-up and looking on from a distance.
“Now it’s just a case of staying up there. They’re in a very positive position at this point in the campaign. The great thing is that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hasn’t changed anything in recent weeks. From United’s poor run to where they are now, he’s stuck to his plans and his ideas.
“Solskjaer didn’t have to change anything; it was more that the players had to respond to what he was asking them to do.
“United had a fantastic run at the back end of last season, then they managed to bring in some names where the club identified weaknesses and clearly they’re now back on track. Ole just wanted that consistency and it looks like it’s back now.
“When you know the man [Ole Gunnar Solskjaer], you know he has values and that’s why he was given the job; he reflects what United is about. As a United player you need to ignore the noise in the media – as a manager even more so.
“The staff are all united and behind the manager. There’s enough quality in there to challenge for the title. But football is a funny game; you can’t afford to relax because you’ll slip down one or two more places in the table.
“You need to stay focussed. I wouldn’t have predicted Man United to be at the top of the table in January back at the start of the season, but that’s the beauty of the game.
“They’ve taken advantage of other teams’ misfortunes. It’s why the Premier League in general is so interesting. It’s great to see United in that position; I’d call it a very good surprise.”
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