Giggs: Chelsea will challenge

Ryan Giggs expects top-of-the-league Chelsea to maintain their challenge until the end of the season.

The team from Stamford Bridge have flown out of the traps this term and won seven of their first eight league fixtures.

The Blues enjoyed a similarly strong start in 2010/11 but fell away sharply (they won just four of 14 league games between mid-October and early January) and ultimately finished nine points behind the Reds.

Two years down the line, Giggs believes they're better equipped to produce more consistently.

"What they've got is that experience and the know-how of how to win a league," he told ManUtd.com and PA Sport.

"Obviously, having added to the squad like they have done, they’re going to be right up there this season. Come the crunch, if they’re there or thereabouts, they’ve got the experience like ourselves (and Manchester City now) to go all the way. I expect them to be up there at the end of the season."

Giggs says Chelsea's new signings will make life difficult for United at a ground where Sir Alex's men haven't won in the league since 2002.

"I think this is a different sort of Chelsea team. In past years they’ve had Didier Drogba’s power and the runs through from midfield of Frank Lampard. We’ve always thought of Chelsea as a big, strong, powerful team.

"They’ve still got that but they’ve added the likes of Oscar and Eden Hazard and Juan Mata is into his second season and coming along nicely. They’ve got clever players who can play in the pockets and make it difficult for teams.

"Sometimes new players settle in straight away and that seems to be the case at Chelsea. They’ve got off to a great start this season and we’re going to have to play well if we’re going to get a result.

"I don’t know why we’ve found it so tough [at Stamford Bridge]. In the 90s we used to go there and win quite regularly.

"Last year we can take heart from how well we played and I think we probably deserved to win. We came back from three goals down and managed to draw 3-3. Also, in the Champions League a couple of years ago, we played well and won. I think we’ve shown good form there in the last few years but just haven’t got the results we’ve wanted."