Jesse Lingard insists Manchester United can catch Manchester City in title race

Jesse Lingard says Manchester United have not given up hope of catching Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

City are 11 points clear of their local rivals after 18 matches, setting a new English top-flight record of 16 successive wins in the process.

Jose Mourinho's side were beaten 2-1 by City in the first Manchester derby of the season earlier this month at Old Trafford, dealing a severe blow to their hopes of winning their first league title in five years.

However, Lingard said United's form in the Premier League this season would have seen them sit atop the standings in any other campaign.

"If we keep winning games that's the most important thing," the England international told BBC Sport.

"With the squad we have got, we have to always believe in each game. Some games we will play badly and win and sometimes we will play well and lose.

"I think any other season we would be top with the points we have, so as long as we keep winning we will see where we are."

Lingard has featured more prominently in the United first-team in recent weeks, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan having fallen out of favour with manager Jose Mourinho.

The 25-year-old said he is relishing playing more first-team football and that he is keen to add to his tally of seven goals for the season.

"Obviously I'm hungry for more goals and any way I can help the team – assists, goals – and to win the game is the most important thing," he said.

"Playing centrally I think you get on the ball a lot more and you can make things happen more. You can obviously play closer to the main striker and get the bits off him."

United's next assignment sees them taking on Bristol City in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup on 20 December.