Neville's confident Spurs prediction debated as Arsenal and Liverpool watch on
As far as Gary Neville is concerned, Arsenal and Liverpool need to watch out for Tottenham.
Both Spurs' north London rivals and the Reds, who are currently top of the Premier League table, are in reach for Ange Postecoglou's side according to Neville, who made the confident claim after seeing Tottenham draw 2-2 at Manchester United on Sunday.
In his role as a Sky Sports pundit Neville said: "If they keep their players fit, they are a certainty to finish in the top four and I think they can get to second and third. With those players back, and if they can get through these next few weeks, I genuinely think they can be better than Arsenal and Liverpool this season."
So, is he right? We asked the Mirror Football team what they think.
John Cross
Here's the thing about Tottenham: Big Ange is just not afraid to say Spurs can win the title. And it is that fearless attitude which makes Tottenham so good to watch on the pitch and why they can finish above Arsenal.
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Personally, I think winning the Premier League is beyond Ange Postecoglou this season but they are very capable of gatecrashing their way into the top four. But will Postecoglou care if they fall short having said they can do it? Of course not. While other teams are getting nervous… Spurs are playing their high line, going all-out attack and getting their fans excited.
Postecoglou has shown a fearless attitude at Tottenham (ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)And then you have to think: who is vulnerable? Arsenal look tired and it remains to be seen whether eating steak with Salt Bae in Dubai will recharge the manager’s batteries let alone the players.
Aston Villa show no signs of slowing down. They are in the mix and Unai Emery has got them so well drilled and so hard to beat. I just think Manchester City will win the title and Liverpool will be their closest challengers and those two are a step ahead of the rest. That is why three into two does not work and Tottenham will edge out either Arsenal or Villa.
Alan Smith
Top four, yes. Second place, no. Tottenham, helped greatly by not having the distraction of Europe, are exceeding expectations. Yet to think they can be the Premier League’s next best this season is a step too far.
The table may not reflect it yet but Liverpool and Manchester City have a much higher ceiling than the rest and should start pulling away to leave a two-horse race to the finish.
Arsenal cannot compete at the very top without a prolific goalscorer and Aston Villa may be hitting a wall - plus they both face European knockout ties. And that means Spurs, especially if their injury woes lighten, can leapfrog both into third spot.
Sam Meade
Tottenham should consider themselves top four material with Aston Villa likely to be their main rivals for the final Champions League spot. An Arsenal collapse, which is unlikely but not out of the question, could open more doors but a return to Europe's top table would be a major plus.
The top two appears to be beyond them. They can certainly mix it with Liverpool and City in a one-off game, but to consistently go toe-to-toe with them across 38 games is still a big ask.
No one expected this type of positivity and change in ambition in what is Postecoglou's first season, which has seen the majority shift their expectations of Tottenham. Nevertheless, caution is perhaps advised, their style of play will always endear them to neutral fans, as will their manager, but they are not a top two outfit yet.
Tottenham drew 2-2 at Manchester United on Sunday (Nigel Keene/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)Conor Mummery
Gary Neville's suggestion that Tottenham could pip Arsenal or Liverpool this season was met with the derision you'd expect from the online football community, but with Spurs level on points with their north London neighbours and five behind league leaders Liverpool, albeit having played a game more, it's far from a baseless prediction.
Since the 4-1 home defeat by Chelsea in November, where Spurs saw two of their own sent off and two more, James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, pick up what proved to be long term injuries, Spurs have been without three or four players from what would be their ideal first XI for every game since, on top of missing six or seven squad players, and they've managed, just about, to keep in touch with the leading pack in the Premier League.
Van de Ven made his long-awaited return to the side in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Manchester United, while Maddison is expected to be back in first team training during the winter break. If Spurs are still level-pegging with Arsenal and within five or six points of Liverpool when the likes of Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr return from international commitments next month, they have every chance pushing for a place in the top two, let alone the top four.
Spurs, unlike the sides around them, have no European football to contend with this season, and if they can keep their returning stars fit for the run-in, Neville's shout may not look so far-fetched come May.
Nathan Ridley
Could Tottenham finish second? Yes. Will they? No.
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There's no doubt that within this wide-open Premier League season Tottenham have a great chance to steal a march on Arsenal and Liverpool, who both still have aspirations in Europe and haven't looked miles ahead of Spurs. But I've got a feeling that Ange Postecoglou's high-octane football will eventually run out of steam when it's crunch time and even with their key players back, Tottenham will fall short of the aforementioned pair as opponents begin to work them out.
Finishing above all of Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Chelsea, of course, now looks distinctly possible and Spurs fans should be getting excited about the prospect of Champions League football next term. For me, though, it'll only come from them finishing fourth this time around and 2025 will prove to be the true acid test.
Liverpool have progressed in three cup competitions and sit top of the Premier League (Getty Images)Tom Victor
Spurs looked impressive at Old Trafford, especially considering the absence of some key players, but it would be naive to look at a performance against Manchester United as evidence a side can challenge high up the table.
Newcastle put in one of their best displays of the season in early December when they were utterly dominant in a 1-0 win over United without Callum Wilson and Sven Botman, but have won just once since. West Ham made light work of United despite the absence of Nayef Aguerd and Michail Antonio, and aren’t being talked up as Champions League hopefuls.
Spurs have been good this season, great at times, but there’s still a gap to the very best teams in the division. And it’s important to remember they’re less far along in their current project than some others.
A top four finish is within their power, though that’ll likely require them to be at full strength or something close to it for the remainder of the season. A final position above Arsenal and Liverpool is a very long shot, but an inability to achieve that shouldn’t be considered a failure.
After recent wobbles, Arsenal are on 40 points in the Premier League and sit level with Tottenham (Javier Garcia/REX/Shutterstock)Simon Bird
Spurs aren’t getting anywhere near the top two, but the neutral should be willing them to shake up the predictable top four. Man City are back on it, and Liverpool desperate to break their grip on the title, which is a two club race.
Arsenal’s blip may have opened the door but they are the only team with the ability to mix it with the current top two. I’d go as far to say that if the Gunners put down £100m in the next fortnight to buy Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, they could become title contenders this season. And that goes for Spurs too. Isak would be a game changer for any title contender, guaranteeing goals and offering all the qualities needed in a modern day striker.
I expect Aston Villa to dip a bit and end up fifth, with Spurs squeezing into the top four. But even that would represent massive progress having lost Harry Kane’s goals and leapt up from eighth last season.
Mike Walters
Lads, it's Tottenham. For once, Sir Alex Ferguson's withering half-time pep talk to inspire a spectacular Manchester United comeback against Spurs doesn't ring so true. Under Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham are made of sterner stuff now, and the fair dinkum Lilywhite boss has transformed the mood around White Hart Lane.
Champions? Sorry, but that's going to be a stretch - Manchester City are catching a wave and Liverpool look their likeliest challengers for the title. Third? Arsenal have dipped, but they are not going to concede the crown in north London without a fight.
That leaves top four - and Spurs are certainly right in the mix there, probably in a straight fight with Aston Villa for Champions League football next season.
Big Ange has been a breath of fresh air, sticking to his guns and sticking two fingers - in a manner of speaking - up at the critics who question his high defensive line. When James Maddison and Son Heung-min are back, and Spurs have a full deck of cards to choose from, they are going to be serious players in the race for a top-four finish. And even if the top two is beyond them, Postecoglou's greatest achievement will not be where Tottenham finish: It will be simply that they are worth watching again.
Spurs are currently without Son Heung-min and James Maddison (Getty Images)Andy Dunn
Injuries or no injuries, if Spurs had serious top-two credentials, they would have won at Old Trafford on Sunday. Yes, they dominated possession. Yes, they produced more attempts on goal. Yes, they had more corners. But they never really went for the Manchester United jugular, as a Manchester City or a Liverpool would have done.
Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp will now go head-to-head in a battle for this season’s Premier League title. After the next couple of rounds of fixtures, it will be confirmed as a two-horse race. But can Spurs finish best of the rest? Absolutely.
Of their five Premier League defeats, a couple have been a little unfortunate and this is a squad that is still getting to grips with Ange-ball. And getting to grips with it in a good way. Enjoying it. Loving it.
Dynamic defenders, a combative midfield and, when the cavalry is back, plenty of goal threat.
With no European distraction, Spurs fans can be extremely confident that their team will have a strong second half of the season. Threaten City and Liverpool? No. Top four? Yes.
Kieran King
I think Tottenham will finish fourth. Yes, Ange Postecoglou's side could finish second but I think that Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal will make up the top three, with Spurs pipping the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester United and West Ham to that fourth spot.
Although at one point Tottenham were being dubbed as title challengers, securing a place in the Champions League next season while playing 'attractive football' will no doubt be a step in the right direction.
Postecoglou has instilled a new belief at Tottenham (Getty Images)Postecoglou has made Tottenham fans dream again but I think they need one more summer transfer window to try and close the gap on those above them, such as City and Liverpool. If Spurs can add a world-class central midfielder and No.9 to their ranks, then I don't see why they can't finish as high as second - like Neville said - next season, but I don't think they have the strength and quality to achieve that this season.
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