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28 October 2008

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Former star?s comments puts spotlight firmly on Liverpool
28 Oct 2008
Sapa-AFP

LONDON ? 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 defender who, after all, once famously stated ?you win nothing with kids?, only for Manchester United?s youthful team to promptly win the 1996 league and Cup double.

Nevertheless, a home victory over champions United and last weekend?s 1-0 triumph away to Chelsea will leave many Liverpool supporters thinking ?if not now, when??

A home match against Portsmouth, now under former England captain Tony Adams, should present few problems to Liverpool.

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

?They may have dropped points 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 Harry 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.

?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 behind Liverpool, will look to claw back ground against struggling West Ham after the disappointing 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 today in the shape of a north London derby away to Arsenal.

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 was a sign of their ability to do the ?dirty things? required to take the title.

?It goes to show that we do not just play pretty football and we can put our foot in when needed.?

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

Fixtures:

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



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