Despite having only just making it into the Champions League last season, Harry Redknapp has set his sights on winning the title after victory over Arsenal, claiming his Tottenham side, who are 66/1 to finish top come the end of the season, can win the Premier League.
Redknapp’s quotes came after his side had produced a remarkable turn around to beat the Gunners on their own patch for the first time in 17 years and will probably be put down to over excitement at the result.
Seeing as how Spurs haven’t won the title since 1961 it might be a little bit optimistic of Tottenham fans and punters to expect them to be winning the league less than a year after they had scraped into the Champions League.
However, Redknapp was not to be denied another moment in the sun as he went on to say that he thought his Spurs’ side can beat anyone in the Premier League.
“We can beat anybody and this win today has put us right back in the race again. It is wide open,” said Redknapp
“We can achieve anything. We have to believe. It is not impossible to win the title. Let’s see how we go.”
While one half of north London would have been celebrating long into the night, it was a different story in the red half, with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger left kicking himself at his side’s failure to hold onto a two goal lead, a result which would have sent them top.
Chelsea losing at Birmingham might have been a good result in the eyes of some Arsenal fans but had they not capitulated they would have been a point clear right now.
Arsenal are still 4/1 to win the Premier League but the 3-2 reverse could have a huge impact on the Gunners season and the coming weeks could be a struggle, something Wenger claims he is well aware of.
“What is worrying for me is that we had an opportunity to go top of the league and when you have to deliver, we can’t. That’s worrying because that’s part of our job,” said Wenger.
“We put ourselves in the right position and we failed, so we have to accept that. That is mental more than football.”
While Wenger was in a downbeat mood after Arsenal’s defeat West Ham manager Avram Grant was amazingly upbeat considering his team’s predicament.
The Hammers were pitiful in their 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday evening and look for all the world like they will need a miracle to save them from relegation, with totesport agreeing after they made them the 4/7 favourites for the drop.
Grant’s time at Upton Park has been a disaster and the natives have begun to turn on the former Chelsea and Portsmouth boss, signing the name of potential replacement Paulo Di Canio at Anfield.
Despite the pressure Grant still believes he can turn things around and save the hapless Hammers.
“I am concentrating on my job. Even now in this situation we can get out of this,” said Grant.
“If I can take West Ham to the place I want to take them that is what is important.”
While Grant desperately trying not to discuss the obvious frailties of his side Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wasn’t afraid to bemoan his side for not scoring more than two against nine-man Wigan.
“We really could have done our goal difference a power of good in the last 20 minutes. We missed a lot of chances and we could have had five or six, easily,” said Ferguson.
United’s win over Wigan moved them into second, level on points with Chelsea at the top of the league, but that was overlooked in favour of concentrating on the return of the chosen one, Wayne Rooney.
The 25-year-old made his long-awaited return to Old Trafford, coming off the bench for the last half an hour to a decent reception from the United faithful, who had every right to be disgruntled with Rooney after the recent contract saga.
Ferguson wasn’t forthcoming with praise for Rooney on his comeback but hoped we would see the real Wayne when United take on Rangers (11/2 to qualify from Group C) in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“It was a quiet comeback. He got involved in a few bits of the interplay. He needed 25 minutes or so,” said Ferguson.
“He will play against Rangers on Wednesday, that is the perfect game for him to come back and get 90 minutes.”
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