Senne Lammens is discovering that life as Manchester United’s goalkeeper means living in a permanent combat zone – and he would not have it any other way.

The Belgian has emerged as one of United’s most assured performers this season, drawing praise from head coach Michael Carrick after a gritty 1-0 victory over Everton in which he repeatedly punched and claimed under intense pressure from a barrage of corners.

The penalty area resembled a wrestling ring, with teammate Kobbie Mainoo likening Everton’s approach to a WWE Royal Rumble. For Lammens, though, the chaos is part of the appeal of English football.

“For me, it’s just the way it is. It is the Premier League. It’s a bit of war in the 16-metre area,” he said. “It’s also one of my strengths, so sometimes I like the challenge as well. I enjoy it, getting out of my comfort zone a little bit and dealing with those situations because now, even though there are a lot of bodies next to me, I still come for crosses. That gives me a good feeling that I’m doing well.”

This season’s heightened emphasis on set-piece routines across the league has turned goalmouths into crowded, jostling battlegrounds. The grappling and blocking have fuelled debate over whether referees and the Premier League should tighten interpretations to better protect goalkeepers.

Lammens accepts there must be limits, but he is wary of sanitising a contest that he believes is central to the league’s identity.

“Of course, there have to be certain rules. You can’t get to the point where it’s too much. That’s something the Premier League has to look at,” he said during a visit to Partington Central Academy on behalf of the Manchester United Foundation. “You try to protect the goalkeeper sometimes and maybe there are situations where that could have been done more. But it’s not that only one team does it. We do it as well, making it hard for the goalkeeper. We’ve scored lots of goals from it, so I fully understand why we do it. You just have to deal with it.”

Lammens, 23, joined from Royal Antwerp and has needed only 22 appearances to convince United supporters he is their long-term No.1, earning chants of “are you Schmeichel in disguise” on his debut. He is flattered but determined not to be distracted.

“I couldn’t really imagine it going any better,” he admitted. “But I still have to prove myself every week. I’m more looking towards the present. Just keep on going, not being satisfied, being happy that it went well, but it’s not the end.”