Phil Jones has said that Manchester United will focus on themselves this season as they attempt to keep pace with Manchester City at the top of the table.

The Red Devils finished a massive 19 points below their arch-rivals last season - the biggest title-winning margin in the Premier League era.

United defender Jones is expecting another difficult challenge this time around, with the England international admitting that the standard throughout the division is improving every year.

"The top six look very good and are going to be very competitive, so it's going to be tough for us again this season - we know that - but I think we just need to focus on us a bit more and concentrate on how we're going to approach games and let's see where it takes us," he told the club's official website.

"It's the most difficult to win out of the competitions in England. The level of the players and their fitness and ability is improving. I remember when I joined in 2011; the Premier League has come on leaps and bounds since then - the pace of the Premier League and the games we're playing in are so quick nowadays."

Jones was not part of United's matchday squad for last weekend's 2-1 win against Leicester City.