.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Sunderland vs Tottenham Hotspur Sat, Apr 7, 2012
Sunderland vs Tottenham Hotspur Sat, Apr 7, 2012. Harry Redknapp has declared his Tottenham Hotspur side to be "in good form again" after they drew with Chelsea, beat Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup and then dispatched Swansea City 3-1. They will need to be, for they are sandwiched between two London rivals in fourth place and their performance in the run-in will determine whether this is the sweetest or cruellest of years for their fans.
In February, Spurs had held a ten-point lead over both Arsenal and Chelsea, but a tough run of games and some poor performances allowed the Gunners to move into third, while resurgent Chelsea - as well as Newcastle United - are now only five points behind.
The victory over Swansea gave Spurs their first league win in six attempts and, with Arsenal having lost to QPR last weekend, they can now move back into third on Saturday lunchtime should they secure a result at the Stadium of Light. With Arsenal taking on Manchester City on Sunday, it may see them seize the initiative again, too. Redknapp has warned his players that the battle for fourth "will be a right dogfight until the end" and that they cannot afford too many dropped points, but taking all three against Sunderland will be a tough task: they visit the North East in search of a first away win in the league in 2012, taking on a team that, under Martin O'Neill, has been capable of competing with the best of them.
The effect of Sunderland's 3-3 draw at Eastlands last weekend will be interesting to see. Sebastian Larsson, who scored a brace in the game, said in the aftermath that it was a "very disappointed dressing room" following the concession of two late goals, but comments from Martin O'Neill on Friday suggest that, with hindsight, they will able to draw on the positives. "Particularly after the performance against Manchester City, we've got to approach this game full of confidence," O'Neill said. "I think we're a better side now. Certainly we've got a bit more confidence about ourselves."
Even so, there is no room for overconfidence. "Spurs are a very, very fine team, a very strong squad and we know it will be tough," he added in the Sunderland Echo. "I think they do have a squad to genuinely challenge for the title, but then they had a blip - rather than a loss of form. I'm not sure why that was. I think you'll have to ask the Spurs players about that. All I can say is that, having watched the game against Swansea, they showed the sort of form which had people talking about them challenging for the title. They looked up for the last charge and we know we'll have our work cut out for us.
"It's a home game, though, a game to savour, and we're looking forward to it."
Sunderland are awaiting news on captain Lee Cattermole's knee ligament injury and Fraizer Campbell's knee problem, though on-loan Wayne Bridge is eligible again. Tottenham are hoping Ledley King will pass a fitness test. Aaron Lennon may be rested.
Sunderland vs Tottenham Hotspur channels #1
