How does Shaw rate his form?

The 25-year-old has been one of the Reds’ most consistent performers for much of the campaign and he particularly caught the eye at Anfield with his Man of the Match display in our 0-0 draw against Liverpool.

Not only has he been extremely solid in his defensive duties, he’s proving to be a vital weapon in attack and is one of the most prolific chance-creators in the league.

Asked whether he is now playing his best football for United, Luke told club media: “Yeah maybe, because I had a lot of ups and downs. There were times when I was finally getting into a good stage where I felt good but I feel like I’ve been so unfortunate with the injuries I’ve picked up along the way.

“That’s in the past though and hopefully that’s behind me and I can just get back to playing football and enjoying it and trying to help the team as much as possible.

“I feel like I’ve been here for a long time now so I do feel like one of the older ones,” he added. “Sometimes even the lads ask how old I am because everyone thinks I’m older! [Laughs] Of course I’ve still got a long way to go, but I think I’ve matured not just in football, but outside of football as well. Hopefully I can continue pushing along because I can definitely still improve and get better.”

Shaw admits there was bitter disappointment in the camp after Wednesday’s surprise 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United, but the left-back believes a trip to Arsenal on Saturday is a perfect way to refocus. 

“It’s nice to be up there and pushing for the number one place,” he declared. “When I first came here, United was known for always winning trophies and challenging [for the title]. We haven’t really been able to do that but the confidence and belief is definitely different from what it used to be when I came here.

"I think there’s a different sort of aura around the place and I feel like we all believe and we all want to win the title.

“After Wednesday night, what more would you want than Arsenal away, we know how big this game is. The disappointment has gone and now we look forward to this one to put things right. After a bad result you want a game as quickly as possible. It’s a massive game and if we go and win it we can completely forget about what happened at home against Sheffield United and focus on what’s to come.

“Arsenal are a very good team with an excellent manager and you can tell in the way they set up and the way they play that they’re very good with the ball, but they’ve always been like that. We always know, especially at Arsenal, in the first 15 or 20 minutes you have to arrive in the game and be bright and start well. If not, we could be in big trouble, like we have been in the past against them.

"It’s a very big game and we’ve got all the confidence and belief in ourselves at the moment. We need to take that into the game.”