Spurs ‘have never been as hot as they are now’

Wenger confident Arsenal can leapfrog into third place

STOCKHOLM: Tottenham’s adventurous attacking play has made them the most exciting team in the Premier League, and they could still snatch the title from Chelsea, former Spurs defender Erik Edman said.

Four points behind leaders Chelsea with five games to go, Tottenham face North London rivals Arsenal at White Hart Lane tomorrow in a derby they must win to keep up pressure on the Blues.

Edman was no stranger to attacking raids himself in a career that also took in Dutch side Heerenveen, French club Rennes and then- Premier League outfit Wigan, and the former left back is a big fan of Tottenham’s recent swashbuckling approach.

“They have never been as hot as they are now,” the 38-year-old said.

“They are doing a lot of things right with their own young English players, and a coach that feels red-hot.

“Tottenham are the most exciting team in the league in many ways.”

Two of the players causing a stir are full backs Kyle Walker and Danny Rose, and Edman says they are key to Tottenham’s system.

“As a full back you feel you can put pressure, create twoon-one situations, cut outside. If you are attacking on the right and move the ball to the centre, and the left back is already on his way up, it gives a dimension and a flow to your possession.

“It’s about the coach’s way of playing ...It’s not really an English thing – it’s more that (coach Mauricio) Pochettino and the team have the courage to let both full backs go forward. That is great to see,” he said.

Edman arrived at White Hart Lane in July 2004 and spent a single season there, but the derbies against Arsenal left their mark.

“You noticed that Tottenham was always something of a ‘little brother’ at the time, we were unlucky and Arsenal just kept winning... As a player and as a foreigner you noticed that these games are special.”

The home game against Arsenal in 2004, the season after the Gunners won the league title without losing a match, sticks out in Edman’s mind.

“We were beaten 5-4 – it was the year after they were the ‘Invincibles’, so it was something of a peak for Arsenal. You noticed from the fans that they wanted you to smash into tackles!”

Now coaching soccer at an elementary school in the southern Swedish city of Helsingborg, Edman also works as an analyst on Swedish domestic games for broadcaster CMORE, and he still keeps an eye out for his former club.

“This game can be extra valuable in terms of stressing Chelsea into a mistake in the last few rounds...,” he said.

“If Tottenham drop points now and Chelsea win, it will be tough, but if they can win and Chelsea drop points, it can be close.”

Sixth-placed Arsenal can still finish in the Premier League’s top three, manager Arsene Wenger said yesterday.

“I expect an open match, (a) committed match,” Wenger told a news conference.

“A match with high pace but there could be goals in there because both teams play positive football and try to go forward and to play in offensive ways.”

Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs hold the best home record in the league this season, with 15 victories in 17 games.

Striker Harry Kane scored in the second half equaliser to rescue a point in the reverse fixture at Arsenal last November.

Arsenal trail third-placed Liverpool by six points with two games in hand and are also behind both Manchester clubs, but Wenger believes his team could leapfrog all three.

“I don’t think that the top three is decided,” said the Arsenal manager, who will be taking charge of his 50th North London encounter.

“We have an opportunity to be in there if we win our games so we do not have to speculate on who is in and not in.” – Reuters

IN SYNC: Kyle Walker and Danny Rose have together played key roles in Tottenham’s success.