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Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has insisted Arsenal have no chance of winning the Premier League and should be more worried about his side beating them to a place in the top four.
Yesterday's 3-0 defeat to Chelsea has left Arsenal 11 points behind Carlo Ancelotti's Premier League leaders and a point adrift of Spurs.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is refusing to give up on the title but Redknapp said: "I can't see them winning the championship now. You saw yesterday how strong and powerful Chelsea are.
"I don't think we learned anything new from yesterday's game. I said a few weeks ago Chelsea and Manchester United would fight it out and I am sure that's the way it's going to be. United will chase them all the way and you can never write them off. You can see those two pulling away."
Although Liverpool, another of the Big Four, won 2-0 at Everton yesterday they are still three points behind Spurs, who drew 1-1 at Aston Villa on Saturday.
Redknapp said: "I see no reason why Tottenham can't finish in the top four. Someone can get in there this year.
"The top four are always very strong but I believe we could do it, although it will still be difficult."
Spurs take on Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup tomorrow but Redknapp would prefer a place in the Champions League next season over winning the trophy.
He added: "To get in the Champions League would be a really big achievement. Everton did it the other year so it'd be great if we could do it as well."
Reader views (19)
Arsenal are a top 4 team...because they have reached (at least) the top four for a decade. They have not spent as much as Spurs yet have consistently done better.
Wenger has done wonders on a tight budget and yet he is constantly degraded for not winning trophies. His record as a manager is good, compared to 'arry-boy's 1 FA cup win. (against Cardiff!) Chelsea are clearly a better team. No argument. But Spurs? their success,like the new ground, is thus far an aspiration rather than reality. dream on suckers, you ain't achieved nothing yet. 'Arry-boy sez that next year you'll be millionaires! or the year after. Or the year after that. One thing IS certain, 'arry will (somehow!!) earn a few quid.
- Gaz, london, 01/12/2009 14:26
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Gooners, please stick with Wenger, he is doing a great job! The more he carries being blind (as are most gooners) to the bleeding obvious, the better it is for the rest of football!
You haven't won anything for 5 seasons, and you are not going to win the league or the Champions League again, and for a club of your suppossed magnitude it isn't good enough.
In the mean time, other teams are pulling their socks up and catching you up.
Yes, you beat us 3-0 at home, but play us at home with a full strength team and we will see.
So,Wenger, please stay!!!
- Dimps, london, 01/12/2009 12:39
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Arsenal are becoming more and more like Spurs with each passing season. Fancy football, no end product. Give it another 2/3 seasons and you'll be down to our level, in amongst the mortals of the Premier League. Rather than 'laugh' at the Spurs fans how about moving out of the shadows of what you think you are (as a club). You've been de-progressing for years now and yet still delude yourselves about how you're playing the kids, and when the kids grown up they're gonna....ZZZzzzzz.
You thrashed us no doubt, you dismissed our excuses of having 3 key players out injured. How I laugh back at you when I now here gooners tell me that the absence of Rvp will hit them hard and how I laughed even more when the media informs us that Arsenal have gone from title challengers (having beat us) to pretenders (having lost to Chelsea).
Fact is - Spurs (Villa, City etc) don't need to be good enough to beat the Top 4 sides or be title contenders to contest for a Top 4 position. 5 years back, it would have been laughable. It's not anymore.
Times. They are changing.
- Spooky, London, 01/12/2009 10:04
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The truth hurts....
- Manila_Spur, Manila, 01/12/2009 06:46
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Trouble is you read the article, he makes no such taunt. He expresses a view that the title race is a two horse one. I am not so sure.
Yes he talks about the top four but again I am not so sure he taunts Wenger. He simply expresses a view that Spurs are optimistic but it wil be difficult. Hardly a boast or taunt.
For what it is worth, I think not this time around. Top six maybe top five. But short of top four. Balance stillnot right at the back.
- Philbeal1, london, 01/12/2009 01:20
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If you listen to exactly what 'Arry' said it was significantly different to the edited press report. He did not say Spurs alone could break into the top four. He said Man City and Villa are just as much in with a chance as Spurs!
- Graham, Austin USA, 01/12/2009 00:02
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Rob the crooner.
If I were you I would be more worried about how superior Chelsea were to Whinger's bunch of mercenaries than bitching about Harry Redknapp.
Another season without a trophy, how many is that?
Europa League next season if you are lucky.
Hows Mum?, still living there?
- Terry, London, 30/11/2009 22:24
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as a gunner i can face reality and harry is right, we got no chance and after 12yrs at the helm time for wenger too move on and here's hoping the new man restores british and irish players into the squad. sad too hear the idiots singing (there's only one arsene wenger )or was that the chelsea supporters
- Gerry, brixton, 30/11/2009 20:29
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harry could be right arsenal may be outta the running for the leauge title, but then where does that leave spurs who havent won a leauge title in 20 years have not finished in the top four in decades, have a manager whos only fame is an fa cup and is at his biggist club of his life, so harry u could be right, arsenal could be outta the running for the leauge title, but spurs finishing above arsenal, that aint gonna happen.
- Henry, belfast, n,ireland, 30/11/2009 19:37
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Really Arsenal players are not a match for chelsea, 75% of the first team can not even make chelsea's bench talkless of 1st eleven. The whole tenssion was just unneccessarily by Wenger boasting about trophies recently when he knows how weak his team can become. They atually belong to a below average team and might finnish 5th at the end of the season.
- Ifii Jamie, London, UK, 30/11/2009 19:10
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What, Rob, is that after Chelsea thrashed Arsenal at home yesterday?
- Gazza'S Longshot At Wembley., London, 30/11/2009 18:33
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Shame oh Rob the Gooner, here as sound he read tha article, my friend anything is possible...Hoping Spurs continue their good run and get some results against the Top 3 (sorry we are the 4th team)...Tables don't lie my friend as a footballer and supporter, tables don't and never lie...
- Adrian, London, 30/11/2009 18:12
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You've got to love how the journo came up with that headline.
At no point did Harry mention Arsenal, just that another team could break into the top 4 this season.
- Scott, London, 30/11/2009 17:53
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The arrogance of some of these Gooners comments is incredible - there is a real chance that Spurs could finish above them in the league this year and have to say the more I read from these supposed Gooners the more I want Spurs to get into the Top 4 at their expense - 5 years have won nothing and they still continue with "we play great stuff" - "great team to watch" bla bla bla - sorry Gooners but think you need to take a good hard look at your squad because apart from Cesc think the entire squad is not even clse to Utd, Chelsea, City and now Spurs ...............
- Melly, Cartagena, Colombia, 30/11/2009 17:46
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@ Rob Gooner - pot, kettle, black. It's no different to how Wenger is always bigging up his own team and telling everyone that they are going to win this that and the other. Funny thing is, his team hasn't won anything for five years and are unlikely to win the Premier League this season. Incidentally, don't be so gullible. You don't have to swallow the media angle on his comments hook, line and sinker. Redknapp wasn't "taunting" Wenger at all. He was was merely giving his opinion (in response to a journalist's questions, no doubt) on this season's title race. He's one of the few people in football who does give honest answers to such questions instead of the bland platitudes so characteristic of most managers and players.
- Jimb, London, 30/11/2009 17:33
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As an Arsenal fan I cannot disagree with Harry Redknapps comments. Chelsea and Manu Utd are ahead of Arsenal and there were times against Chelsea when it was men against boys. In much the same way it was men against boys when we played Tottenham a few weeks ago.
The top 2 spots are almost decided and it will be between 3 and 4 teams fighting for the remaining two qualifier spots.
- Jonathan, Potters Bar, Herts, 30/11/2009 17:14
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It seems sp*rs have found something they are better at than anyone else in the league..., mouthing off! Led in kind by 'arry 'wedknapp..., seriously, when will this guy shut up. If he's not spouting rubbish about the top 4, he's publicly tapping up a plethora of contracted players.
What a fool.
It seems being at sp*rs means losing your brains. We may have been shown up yesterday against chelsea.., but dont forget arry, a couple of weeks ago we exposed your top 4 plans for what they are.., TALK.
So keep on talking and talking and talking.., and the rest of the world will continue to laugh at you when it invariably goes wrong again!
- J, essex, uk, 30/11/2009 17:09
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I seem to recall 'twitch' bigging it up before Arsenal thrashed Tottenham 3-0 & should have scored more! We hear this every season, the pain then comes as usual for Tottenham's fans, which becomes more enjoyable for us gooners!
- Rob Gooner, North London, 30/11/2009 17:05
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Can't argue with the facts, Oh! Forgot we are talking about Arsenal.
- Colin Stevens, Farmington, USA, 30/11/2009 16:28
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