Michael Carrick, the Manchester United midfield player, has suggested that there is no end in sight to the surge in form that has enabled Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to go top of the Barclays Premier League in the final week of the year.

The England international has played a key role in each of his club’s five successive league victories, against Fulham, Derby County, Liverpool, Everton and Sunderland, and appears set to retain his place away to West Ham United tomorrow.

Carrick, born in North Tyneside and a Newcastle United supporter as a boy, took particular pleasure in helping to dismantle Sunderland on Boxing Day and the 26-year-old said: “It looks like we are getting better and better, and I hope that continues.

“We look really strong at the moment and five Premiership wins in a row is good form. We have to hope it continues because we have a very strong squad and when you think of the players that were not involved at Sunderland, there are a lot of options available to us. Things are going really well at the moment and hopefully we can keep this momentum going.”

Carrick’s assertion that United can only get better is bad news for Arsenal, who have lost their early-season swagger, as well as Chelsea and Liverpool. While Ferguson’s players were strolling to a 4-0 victory at the Stadium of Light, their three most likely title rivals were producing less than convincing performances.

“I really enjoyed it at Sunderland and it was great to go up there and win,” Carrick said. “It is the first time I have ever managed that at their place, so that meant a lot. It meant more to me maybe than anyone else as I come from those parts.

“I thought it was never going to happen. Most of my family were at the match and after four trips to Sunderland, I finally managed to win. That made the whole day very special.”

Carrick’s Old Trafford future was thought to be in doubt after Ferguson took his England teammate and fellow central midfield player, Owen Hargreaves, to the club during the summer. However, the Geordie has cemented his place in a team that his manager describes as one of the best he has assembled during his reign at Old Trafford.

“We are in the position we want to be in at this time of year,” Carrick said. “You want to be at the top and in contention. This is a busy time for us and things can turn around very quickly with the amount of games being played. We said all along that around Christmas we needed to be there and thereabouts. We are happy enough, even though we are not quite there yet.

“We have got our noses in front but there is still half a season to go – there is a long time left and a lot of points to play for.”