Source: Tottenham Journal

TOTTENHAM may be concentrating solely on the Premier League for the rest of the season, but manager Harry Redknapp admits he has had an eye on other competitions this week.

Spurs face a daunting fixture schedule in the final 10 weeks of the season, and are yet to face four of the current top six teams - starting with a trip to fourth-placed Aston Villa this Sunday.

But Redknapp is unconcerned about the Lilywhites' lofty opponents, explaining that the top teams will inevitably be distracted by their cup challenges as the season nears its conclusion.

"I have always said that you want to play the big clubs towards the end of the season as they are involved in the Champions League and FA Cup semi-finals," he said. "It all helps and you will find that happens now.

"It happened to me at Portsmouth when we played Arsenal, who had a Champions League match before and after, and three or four of their best players didn't play. It is all part of the luck of the draw."

Apart from Villa, all of Spurs' forthcoming top six opponents are involved in the Champions League knock-outs or FA Cup semi-finals, and they could indeed rest key players in the league.

Liverpool, for example, host Spurs on the last day of the season, Sunday, May 24, three days before the Champions League Final in Rome.

Having beaten Juande Ramos' Real Madrid 5-0 on aggregate, few would bet against the Merseysiders reaching the final for the third time in five years.

But the Reds recently slipped up against Middlesbrough as a result of their European exertions, losing 2-0 four days after beating Real Madrid 1-0 at the Bernabeu.

And that, according to Redknapp, proves that the league's top sides could drop points against struggling teams, and play a major part in the relegation battle.

"It's about catching teams right," he said. "No disrespect to Middlesbrough, but it was a nice time to play Liverpool on Saturday after Real Madrid. Could you have played them at a better time? I said to a lot of people that I could not see Middlesbrough getting beat by Liverpool."

All of the struggling clubs who are involved in this season's epic basement battle will be desperately hoping to face weakened, weary and distracted sides as the season creeps towards its climactic conclusion.

But Redknapp is adamant that his side have nothing to fear when they take on the Premier League's heavyweights anyway, pointing out that Spurs have consistently raised their game against the established "Big Four" this season.

"I don't look at the fixture list and think that we have this and that team," he said.

"If you take away the cups, we haven't lost to a 'top four' team this season.

"As far as I'm concerned, Man United didn't beat us at Wembley the other week either - that was a draw. They are all hard games but we can beat anyone on our day.