Scholes: Di Maria's red card against Arsenal was turning point for Manchester United

Paul Scholes gives his opinion on Manchester United’s incredible run of form over the last few games

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes believes it was the calamitous red card to Di Maria against Arsenal that can be marked as a turning point for Manchester United this season. After losing the FA Cup quarter-final tie at home, Manchester United have registered 4 consecutive home wins the league to consolidate their position in the top 4 of the league table.

"I still feel that Angel Di Maria’s red card against Arsenal was critical in allowing Van Gaal to build this new-look team," Scholes said in his Independent column.

"Looking at the side it seems to me to be a triumph of the underdog - Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini, Ashley Young. All of whom looked like they could be out the picture at the start of the season and are now having a big impact.

"The formation is bold. It is much more attacking and more what I expected of Van Gaal when he arrived.

"There is a spine of four players – Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera, Fellaini and Wayne Rooney – that runs through the middle. Then Young and Mata wide."

Fellaini’s best position was always as an unorthodox No.10

Scholes also went on to praise Marouane Fellaini who has been causing all sorts of problems to the opposition defence and has been vital to United’s resurgence in the past one month.

"When I was coaching under Ryan Giggs at the end of last season, we always felt that Fellaini’s best position was as an unorthodox No 10 – the role he is playing now," Scholes added.

"When he first joined United, David Moyes had played him as a central midfielder but I don’t think controlling the game from there is Fellaini’s biggest strength.

"When I played against him when he was at Everton, he was just a giant nuisance: elbows up, big and strong and always liable to peel off and take up a position at the back post. That is how Van Gaal is playing him now and not asking Fellaini to do the things he finds more difficult.

"I do wonder whether Fellaini has the quality to win games in the Champions League latter stages but that is for another day. I always found him a good, committed player who trained hard."

Louis van Gaal’s side couldn’t have been in better form as they visit table toppers Chelsea this weekend. Chelsea are currently favourites to lift the league title at the end of the season as they maintain a 7-point lead at the top of the table with a game in hand.