Despite United's sluggish performance, Stam said the start of the season was "not a disaster" and backed his former club to finish in the top four.

Stam said: "I would choose Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United to enter the top four, followed by Chelsea. These five teams have the strength and stability to compete for the Champions League qualification."

When asked about Manchester United's prospects this season, Stam added: "I said at the beginning of the season that Manchester United's goal should be to enter the top four. They are only a few points away now, so the situation is not bad. It is still early, a few A win can change everything. A winning streak will bring momentum and confidence. If they can build up this momentum, they can be in the top six, even the top five, although it will be difficult. "Arsenal can win the league this season. The team with quality and clear style is difficult to play against, and you can see the improvement. . They have invested a lot of money to strengthen their squad, which shows their ambition. Now they need to take the next step and by investing heavily they have shown that. With their depth, they can rotate and maintain quality. They have maintained a stable performance and are currently ranked first, and they need to maintain it until the end of the season. "

Stam also said: "I wouldn't say that if Arsenal doesn't win any trophies, Arteta's job will be immediately threatened, but there will definitely be pressure. When you have support and significant investment, expectations naturally rise. The club will look forward to progress and trophies. As Arsenal manager, that's what you know and that's what you do there. If it doesn't happen, of course there will be doubts. This is the norm in football. But the season is still long and they are in a good position. "