Five reasons why Manchester United can win the Premier League this season

Three wins from three, zero goals conceded and a sense of optimism ringing around Old Trafford has greeted Manchester United fans this season.

It is still early doors and there is a risk of being carried away based upon the early season performances, but everything looks to be going in the right direction for José Mourinho’s team.

Here are five reasons why Manchester United can win the Premier League.

Nemanja Matić provides Paul Pogba with freedom to push forward

With the arrival of the former Chelsea midfielder, fans of Manchester United are already seeing the benefits of having him in the side.

It was easy to sneer at the £40m price tag for a 29 year old, but it is easy to see how much he has an affect on Pogba’s game.

In the opening three games we have seen the Frenchman bombard forward and get among the goals and assists. At no point last season did we really see the former Juventus man become another option in attack.

READ MORE: Why September is key to Man United’s title chances

READ MORE: How Conte can make up for Chelsea’s shortcomings

READ MORE: The best and worst value transfers of the summer

Against Leicester City, Pogba attempted 10 shots. Some inches away from goal, some well wide. However, it is the fact that he is now in a position to strike from distance that bodes so well for the Red Devils.

Pogba looks like the Pogba of Juventus that led the Italian supergiants to a Champions League final. He is only going to get better.

Eric Bailly and Phil Jones’s relationship looks rock solid

For some reason or another, the partnership between Bailly and Jones has seemingly blossomed this season and has not conceded once. While a defence also consists of full backs and a goalkeeper, it is encouraging for United fans to see such a sturdy duo.

The England international has always had potential since his Blackburn days, but a string of injuries has cost him reaching the next level and becoming world-class.

However, so far this season, Jones looks assured in defence and comfortable on the ball. Providing he can stay fit and alongside Bailly, Manchester United have a very agile and formidable centre back pairing.

Marcos Rojo is set to return in a few months time after recovering from a career-threatening injury, but for all of his good work last season, the Argentine might find it difficult to break back into the first-team. Of course, competition is incredibly healthy in a squad and this will only turn Bailly and Jones into better players.

Momentum early on can swing things going into the ‘bigger’ games

It has been well documented that Mourinho’s opening fixtures in the Premier League have been generous.

Their first five games read: West Ham (H), Swansea (A), Leicester (H), Stoke (A) and Basel (H).

The Red Devils have already won three of those and will face Stoke and Basel after the international break. Not conceding one goal in three games is also a confidence booster heading into those two matches.

After Stoke and Basel comes Everton, their first real test of the season one can argue. It will be at Old Trafford that we will start to see whether Manchester United are the real deal or whether they are just hype for now.

However, having such a generous fixture list early on allows the new signings to settle in well and find the rhythm of the game. Building momentum at the start of the season is so important for any title challengers and that is exactly what United are doing heading into the ‘bigger’ games of the season.

José Mourinho appears to have instilled a newfound confidence in United’s play

Watching Manchester United in their opening three games is like watching a completely different team to that of last season and the year before that.

Wave after wave of attacks against West Ham, Swansea and Leicester would be frightening for any defence and, in the end, punished their opposition.

READ MORE: England take huge step towards World Cup

READ MORE: 5 things we learned from England’s win

READ MORE: England’s win over Slovakia in stunning pictures

Against West Ham and Swansea it was Anthony Martial to come off the bench and influence the game, but last weekend Marcus Rashford showed the Portuguese boss he can also decide games by coming on to score and break the deadlock against the Foxes.

Having the ability to rotate between Martial and Rashford is a manager’s dream, and for both of them to come off of the bench and make an impact straight away is exactly why teams should be worried. It could make all the difference in crucial games.

Strength in depth could be the difference

While there are squads in the Premier League that are bigger than Manchester United’s, they do however possess experienced players who can come in at any time to do a job.

Club captain Michael Carrick has not even registered a single minute of playing time this season because of the players above him in the pecking order.

However, as the season goes on and the matches become more frequent, Mourinho will most certainly be calling upon his fresh captain to play games in order to allow the first-team midfielders a rest.

With the news that Zlatan Ibrahimović has signed a one-year deal with the Red Devils, it adds another string to their bow when the Swede returns from injury in January 2018.

As the season reaches the business end, Manchester United will be looking to those who have not featured as much in the first three months.

Players such as Rojo, Victor Lindelöf, Matteo Darmian, Luke Shaw, Carrick, Ander Herrera and Ibrahimović could be pivotal in deciding the outcome of their season.