Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping that Manchester United can put together a good run of results throughout December to increase the pressure on their Premier League rivals.

The Red Devils are currently top of the table, three points clear of defending champions Manchester City, ahead of their five fixtures this month.

Ferguson's United have traditionally performed well in the lead-up to the festive period, and the Scot is hoping for a similar story this season to improve their title chances.

He said: "It's generally a good month for us. We usually get ourselves to the New Year in a challenging position, and that's where you want to be.

"When you have the second half of the season in front of you, you know full well that pressure can affect everyone, there's no question about that. We tend to do not too badly.

"The start of the month, with City away, is a hard one, but then we've got Sunderland, Newcastle, Swansea, West Brom - we've got a reasonable programme, so we should be expected to gather some points there."

Before their domestic fixtures, United conclude their Champions League campaign against CFRJ Cluj on Wednesday.