Buoyant Tottenham set sights on Liverpool

Tottenham have the chance to end a remarkable week on a high by beating Liverpool at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Last weekend they came back from 2-0 down at half-time to win at Arsenal, the first time they had won at the home of their north London rivals since 1993.

Then on Wednesday night they beat Werder Bremen 3-0 to clinch qualification to the knock-out stage of the Champions League, a feat Arsenal have yet to manage this term.

And now they have a place in the top four in their sights by getting the better of Roy Hodgson’s side, although it would take a six-goal swing and a Bolton defeat to enable them to swap places with Manchester City.

Liverpool have been moving steadily in the same direction in recent weeks after a poor start by their own standards and Redknapp was hopeful that William Gallas, the France defender, would be able to put in a third top-quality performance of the week.

“William has been a great signing for us,” Redknapp said of the summer arrival from Arsenal.

“He is a very focused professional who wants to win and doesn’t stand people not being as professional as him.

“For a free transfer I am amazed others didn’t take him. A few clubs could do with a William Gallas. At Arsenal he was man of the match and on Wednesday he was top class.

“The Premier League has to be our main focus as we want Champions League football again next year. We can finish the week off in style if we can beat Liverpool.”

Not that Redknapp expected an easy ride however.

“Liverpool are just starting to play well and Roy is getting them to play the way he wants,” he said.

“I still think they are a big threat to finish in the top four. Fernando Torres is back and looking sharp and scoring goals and they will get stronger.”

Liverpool travel to the capital having won five of their last seven games and goalkeeper Pepe Reina was keen for the run to continue.

“We have to finish this season in a better position than we are at the moment and make sure we build for the next years and try to be competitive,” he said.

“If not, it’s going to be difficult for them to keep these kind of players.

“We have to be sure that we deliver better performances otherwise it’s going to be really, really, really difficult (to finish in the top four).

“We are not probably as strong as Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham can be so that’s why we have to make sure we build a better squad.

“At the moment, it’s almost impossible to compete for nine months against Chelsea, for example, and that is what I want.

“The clubs all around England are building proper squads. We have to do the same and we have to be able to compete.”

Liverpool have only won twice on the road since December last year, a statistic that effectively cost them a Champions League position last season.

“We are not playing well enough, especially away from home, and we have to make sure we improve this aspect otherwise we will be struggling,” Reina added.

“It’s so difficult to go anywhere and beat teams but if we want to be up there at the end of the season, we have to.”

Joe Cole has recovered from his hamstring problem and should be fit to start, Daniel Agger’s calf problem is on the mend but he is still three weeks off playing and and Steven Gerrard’s hamstring complaint is also healing slowly and he will be absent.