• Premier League

Van Persie warns Liverpool: United are back to their best

Robin van Persie has warned Liverpool that he and his Manchester United team-mates are getting back to their best ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash at Old Trafford.

United have won all five games since going down 1-0 in the Manchester derby on November 2, the latest of which was a 2-1 win over Southampton on Monday with Van Persie scoring both goals to send his side third.

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Liverpool, in contrast, have won just one of their last nine games - and Van Persie says one of the season's most-anticipated fixtures could not have come at a better time.

"The next game is Liverpool, so we're looking forward to that," he said. "We are really happy that we are on the way up now. We have to keep the momentum going."

The Dutch striker had an underwhelming start to the season after he captained Netherlands to the World Cup semi-finals, but he has now scored three goals in his last three games. And with United manager Louis van Gaal claiming Radamel Falcao is currently only fit enough to play "20 minutes per match", Van Persie is likely to keep his place in the starting XI on Sunday.

He added: "I've been feeling very well over the last couple of weeks. Physically, I can make my runs over and over again. I had a feeling that it was coming.

Robin van Persie scored his fifth and sixth goals of the season at Southampton on Monday © Getty Images

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"Last week, I was thinking against Stoke that I had a really good feeling - I was feeling fit. Although I had a good feeling, not everything came together in that game.

"I can play 90 minutes easy and every time it gets easier. I could keep going in the last minutes and that's what you want. Then the goals, assists and wins will come. I just have to keep it going and play more."

Despite the run of victories, United's inexperienced and often makeshift defence has come in for a lot of criticism, but Van Persie insists that goalkeeper David de Gea and the players in front of him were just as much to thank for the win at St Mary's.

"Everyone gave absolutely everything and in the end we nicked it," he said. "It was a tough game; they have a good team, so we knew what to expect - we've been training on it all week.

"In the end, it's our fifth straight victory, so we are on the way up. In these games, it is a quality to bring it over the line.

"After my second goal, we still had to play 25 minutes against a very good side. You know they will get chances because they're a good team, but we did well.

"We had a fantastic keeper, a great back four or five, and I think we did ever so well."

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