Manchester United legend Gary Neville has said Tottenham Hotspur can finish ahead of both Arsenal and Liverpool if they can keep their players fit for the second half of the 2023-24 season.
Tottenham Hotspur Have Not Had The Best Luck This Season
Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham have lost many of their players to long-term injuries this season. James Maddison, who was set to become the centerpiece of the Australian’s project, has been out with an ankle injury since November 10. Left-midfielder Ivan Perisic tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in September and is unlikely to feature for the remainder of the 2023-23 season. Giovani Lo Celso and Ben Davies became recent casualties on January 6 and 12, respectively, picking up muscle and hamstring injuries.
To top it off, they have lost two of their top players, Heung-min Son and Yves Bissouma, to international duties this month. Son, who is representing South Korea in the AFC Asian Cup 2023, could be unavailable until February 10, while AFCON 2023-bound Mali international Bissouma could miss out until February 11.
Neville Backs Spurs To Outrank Liverpool And Arsenal
Manchester United icon Neville has liked the way Spurs have played this season and is backing them to seal a place in the UEFA Champions League if they can remain injury-free.
On Sky Sports, Neville said (via Football.London):
“I think if they keep the players fit, they’re an absolute certainty [for Champions League]. I think actually when you watch them, when they get the five players back that are missing and they’re all fit, they can be better than Liverpool and Arsenal this season.
“It’s a bad draw for them in the FA Cup [Manchester City], so they could go out of that and then fully concentrate on the league ahead. I know they need to go after trophies. But if you go out of the domestic competitions, teams that have had explosive seasons can move that aside and do well in the league. For Ange Postecoglou, to get second or third is possible, if he gets a clean run at it.”
Spurs, who came from behind twice to hold Manchester United to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday (January 14), are in fifth place (40 points) in the Premier League rankings. Liverpool are at the top with 45 points while Arsenal are fourth with 40 points. Both, however, have a game hand.
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