Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes that the overall competitiveness of the Premier League has increased this season.
Chelsea and Arsenal have already lost four games each, whereas United have drawn seven of their 15 matches till date.
With only a handful of points separating the rest of the chasing pack, the Scot insists that this season has been a "strange" one.
Ferguson told reporters that "It is a strange Premier League this season," .
"We have to give credit to the lower parts of the league who are now catching up and condensing it into a much tighter competition.
"The table is like we are used to seeing in the Championship every year where you win two games and you are challenging for the play-off spots.
"Only a few weeks ago Sunderland were down the bottom. Now they are challenging for a European place.
"That is the kind of league we are in at the moment.
"It is difficult to assess whether it is the teams at the top who are failing or the one below them getting better.
"I think it is the lower teams getting better because the standard has improved."
Manchester United take on Valencia in their final group game in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Chelsea and Arsenal have already lost four games each, whereas United have drawn seven of their 15 matches till date.
With only a handful of points separating the rest of the chasing pack, the Scot insists that this season has been a "strange" one.
Ferguson told reporters that "It is a strange Premier League this season," .
"We have to give credit to the lower parts of the league who are now catching up and condensing it into a much tighter competition.
"The table is like we are used to seeing in the Championship every year where you win two games and you are challenging for the play-off spots.
"Only a few weeks ago Sunderland were down the bottom. Now they are challenging for a European place.
"That is the kind of league we are in at the moment.
"It is difficult to assess whether it is the teams at the top who are failing or the one below them getting better.
"I think it is the lower teams getting better because the standard has improved."
Manchester United take on Valencia in their final group game in the Champions League on Tuesday.
