Michael Carrick wants Manchester United to regain “the fear factor” that has made them the dominant team in the history of the Premier League as, with Stoke City visiting, they aim for a fourth consecutive win evening.

In their previous three games, United have beaten Crystal Palace, Arsenal and Hull City, at Old Trafford on Saturday, in their best run of form this season. This has taken Louis van Gaal’s team to fourth place despite a series of injuries with the 3-0 win over Hull United’s best and most consistent display.

“I think everyone in the stadium felt Hull was a good performance and that’s the sort of standard we want to be at,” said Carrick. “Dominating teams and winning. We’ve done it in the past but the past is the past. We need to do it again. And hopefully as time goes on we can carry on like this and that fear factor will creep back.

“Hull was an improvement again. Arsenal was a huge result for us, the performance wasn’t great, but we got the performance for long periods against Hull, winning comfortably in the end, so we will look to keep that going against Stoke. We believe we can have a really good season. It’s been a strange start in many ways. Hopefully we can get the injured lads back fit but when you can bring the likes of [Radamel] Falcao and Ander Herrera on it does give you confidence. Ander came on very early and did so well. These last few wins have helped that confidence and it’s coming into that Christmas time now where we still believe.”

Herrera was forced on after 13 minutes against Hull because of Ángel di María’s hamstring injury that rules him out of facing Stoke. Wayne Rooney also suffered knocks to his calf and knee but Van Gaal is hopeful his captain will be fine to play against Stoke.

Di María’s was the 41st injury of the season for United and Carrick believes being fourth despite the long medical list indicates the squad’s depth, and strength of character. “Look at Ander coming on,” said the midfielder. “It’s not easy coming on so early in the first half and he’s not played a lot of football in recent weeks but he came on and looked terrific.

“That’s the beauty of having this strength. You have players to choose from, despite the injuries. Falcao coming on at the end, he was unlucky not to get his goal but he’s played for us. Ángel is world class and to lose him was a bit of a blow but when you have got players like that to step in off the bench it helps a lot.”

Carrick also believes that United’s differing formations - Van Gaal fielded a 4-2-2-2 against Hull that featured Robin van Persie in an unfamiliar midfield role - will help players to become more flexible and fluid. “In some ways it might help us longer term knowing we have played different systems and can learn from all of them so if we do have to change again we know we can adapt, we know we have done it,” he said. “Some have worked great, some haven’t worked so well but certainly that system [against Hull] worked fine and we looked dangerous.

“We can’t look too far ahead. We’ve never done that. We’ve never said: ’Right, we need to go on a 10 or 15 game run’. It’s bit by bit.”