Anfield emotions soaring, but Pompey test awaits

Liverpool fans may not know whether to laugh or cry now that former captain turned football pundit Alan Hansen has said this season represents the best chance for their first title since 1990.

It was the former Scotland central defender who, after all, once famously stated “you win nothing with kids” only for Manchester United's youthful team to promptly win the 1996 Premier League and FA Cup double.

Nevertheless a home victory this season over champions United and last weekend's 1-0 triumph away to Chelsea, which ended the Blues's 86-match unbeaten Premier League run at Stamford Bridge, will leave many Liverpool supporters thinking 'if not now, when?'.

Liverpool are yet to lose in the Premier League this season and are four points clear at the top of the table.

An Anfield match against Portsmouth, still reeling from the shock departure of Harry Redknapp to Tottenham, should present few problems to Liverpool in their current form.

But it is just these kinds of fixtures which can trip up the unwary title aspirant, particularly after the euphoria of a win over a major rival.

However, Hansen said Rafael Benitez's side had the steel to go with their undoubted skill.

“They may have dropped points at home to Stoke but winning the title is not all about thrashing teams every week but how teams respond to setbacks,” said Hansen.

“That's the big test and from the Liverpool performances so far this season, the players have shown the kind of resilience that suggests they would bounce back from any poor result with great spirit.”

Portsmouth responded to Redknapp's exit by drawing 1-1 at home to Fulham on Sunday and for all the speculation surrounding their future, they do have the consolation of lying seventh in the top flight with new boss Tony Adams in charge.

“Harry made his mind up. He has gone and we now have to carry on with our good work at this club. We have started something and we need to finish it,” said Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin.

Chelsea would, ordinarily, be huge favourites to win away at Hull. But the newly-promoted Tigers have surprised everyone, and possibly themselves, by rising to third in the table.

“If you get 20 points from nine games you are going to be somewhere near the top,” Hull manager Phil Brown said. “It is Champions League form but that is what it is, form. That is temporary.”

Manchester United, eight points adrift of Liverpool, will look to claw back ground against struggling West Ham after the disappointment of a 1-1 draw away to Everton.

Tottenham responded to the Redknapp factor by beating Bolton for their first league win this season.

But false dawns have become a feature of life at White Hart Lane and a tougher test lies in wait on Wednesday in the shape of a north London derby away to Arsenal – a match that could be made all the harder if second-bottom Newcastle win at home to West Brom on Tuesday.

“If there is no chance of winning then we may as well stay at home,” said a bullish Redknapp.

There remains a perception that Arsenal can be harried out of their elegant passing stride by straightforward physical aggression.

But Gunners and England star Theo Walcott said the way in which Arsenal, now four points off the lead, won 2-0 away to West Ham last weekend was a sign of their ability to do the “dirty things” required to take the title.

“Sometimes people say that we do not do all the dirty things, which we did during the first half (against West Ham), and that frustrated them at times,” Walcott said.

“It goes to show that we do not just play pretty football and we can put our foot in when it has to be done.”

No side managed by the talkative Martin O'Neill can ever quite be said to be doing anything by stealth but Aston Villa's rise to fifth in the table and last weekend's 4-0 win over Wigan have gone largely unremarked.

Villa will look to build on that position at home to Blackburn while Manchester City, buoyed by Robinho's hat-trick against Stoke City, travel to Middlesbrough.

Sunderland, fresh from a first home win over Newcastle in 28 years, are away to Stoke, currently occupying the final relegation place.

Wednesday also sees two clashes between teams hovering above the drop zone with Bolton at home to Everton and Fulham facing Wigan.

Fixtures (1945GMT unless stated):

Tuesday: Newcastle v West Brom

Wednesday: Arsenal v Tottenham, Aston Villa v Blackburn, Bolton v Everton (2000GMT), Fulham v Wigan, Hull v Chelsea, Liverpool v Portsmouth (2000GMT), Manchester United v West Ham (2000GMT), Middlesbrough v Manchester City (2000GMT), Stoke v Sunderland