Spurs set sights on Liverpool
published:
Friday | October 31, 2008
Tottenham Hotspur's Jermaine Jenas (right) celebrates along with his teammates after Aaron Lennon scored their crucial equalising goal during the English Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London, on Wednesday. - AP
LONDON (AP):
Although Harry Redknapp's arrival has inspired a victory and a thrilling 4-4 draw at Arsenal, Tottenham remain last in the Premier League and now have a tough game at leader Liverpool.
However, Redknapp's revolution will gather even more speed if Spurs can get a point at White Hart Lane tomorrow, and fears of relegation will start to recede.
Redknapp only took over on Sunday, but has led Spurs to a 2-0 victory over Bolton and Wednesday's draw with the Gunners after being 4-2 down in the 89th minute.
Yet, other results mean that Tottenham are still last with two points to make up on number 18 Bolton and number 19 Wigan.
Bring 'em on
"It's going to be a long season," said Redknapp, who moved to White Hart Lane from seventh-place Portsmouth. "But there was a great atmosphere in that dressing room. I've tried to make them believe in themselves. There's ability in the squad. Bring on Liverpool. We'll give them a good go on Saturday."
The only unbeaten team, Liverpool stayed three points clear of Chelsea at the top of the standings with a 1-0 victory over Portsmouth on Wednesday.
The Reds go to White Hart Lane with a record of eight wins and two draws, but now face a Spurs team which is no longer the fragile line-up that played under Juande Ramos.
The 61-year-old Redknapp led Portsmouth to an FA Cup triumph in May and their first ever season in European football.
"Harry is great motivationally," midfielder Jermaine Jenas said. "The lads have done him a favour by reacting to it. It showed complete team spirit and togetherness. We always believed. We just showed that never-give-in spirit. Any team which comes to the Emirates and gets a result has done well but given the circumstances, this is just brilliant."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was furious that his team threw away two points that could be vital at the end of the season.
"I am angry," said Wenger, who hopes his team will bounce back with a victory at Stoke. "We have to look at ourselves and improve. The players are very down. We were two levels above Tottenham and they were there for the taking. It was damaging."
Needing to improve
Also tomorrow, promoted Hull travel to Manchester United for the first time in a league game.
Hot favourites to go back down before the season kicked off in August, the Tigers have had an amazing start to their first season in the top flight in their 104-year history.
They went into Wednesday's game against Chelsea on the same number of points as the Blues, with only Liverpool above them.
But Chelsea brushed aside Phil Brown's team 3-0, and a loss to United at Old Trafford could well lead to a slide down the standings.
"It's a great start by any standards," Brown said. "There are a lot of teams out there who would like to have 20 points from 10 games, excluding the top four.
"We've got to learn from this game and go to Old Trafford. I've said to the players that if anyone doesn't fancy getting something on Saturday, don't bother coming."
Chelsea will be confident of beating Sunderland at home, with manager Luiz Felipe Scolari still applauding Frank Lampard's nonchalantly chipped, left-footed goal at Hull.
"He is a very intelligent player, he played well the whole game and he is a man that is never tired," Scolari said. "His goal was one of the best in the world. Only one player with this quality can make this goal. Other players, no. I think it was one of the best goals that I saw in my life."
Other games
Fourth-place Aston Villa remain six points off the lead after Wednesday's 3-2 victory over Blackburn, but don't play next until Monday when Martin O'Neill's team goes to Newcastle.
Saturday's other games are Everton vs Fulham, Middlesbrough vs West Ham, Portsmouth vs Wigan and West Bromwich Albion vs Blackburn.
On Sunday, Bolton welcome neighbours Manchester City.
