Source: Daily_Mail
Spurs, Villa or Man City - which team can gatecrash the top four this season?
Who is best equipped to break into the top four and why? Matt Lawton: Manchester City. They might have won only once in 10 games but they've lost just twice so far this season. And they'll spend big again in January to address their weaknesses. [LNB]Ian Ladyman: Manchester City. Simply because they have the most money. For all the talent of Harry Redknapp and Martin O'Neill, money buys success in football -just look at Chelsea.[LNB] Def touch: Jermain Defoe scores Tottenham's second goal in the midweek victory over Manchester City[LNB] Matt Barlow: This season, Tottenham Hotspur. They have good depth in all areas of the squad, variety and some experience of challenging for the top four, albeit unsuccessfully. Long term, it has to be City.[LNB]Strengths Aston Villa Matt Lawton: Martin O'Neill and a team with an English core and an English spirit. They also have pace and flair in abundance and a much stronger squad than 12 months ago. [LNB] Ian Ladyman:: They have one of the top three managers in the Barclays Premier League and they have an English spine.[LNB] [LNB] Matt Barlow: Oodles of pace and energy - two of the great assets of the modern game - and a dependable defensive unit. Conceded only 14 goals this season, 10 fewer than City and eight fewer than Spurs. A manager who has experienced the nerves of a title race and more points in the bag than the other two.[LNB] Top class: Villa boss Martin O'Neill and Spurs manager Harry Redknapp[LNB] Tottenham Matt Lawton: The inspiration of Harry Redknapp and a blend of English talent and foreign flair. They are now among the most exciting teams in the Barclays Premier League. [LNB]Ian Ladyman: Jermain Defoe, Aaron Lennon, Robbie Keane and Peter Crouch provide an attacking threat that can carry them through games even when they are not playing well. [LNB]Matt Barlow: Goals. Only Arsenal and Chelsea have scored more and Defoe has 14 in 17 for Tottenham this season.[LNB]Manchester City Matt Lawton: Quality players in almost every position and the financial muscle to get stronger. Hughes has an aura as well as talent but he still has much to prove before he can be ranked alongside his main rivals. A work in progress.[LNB] Ian Ladyman: City have the best goalkeeper in the Premier League in Shay Given. He can win City matches. Hughes's team also have goals in them, particularly at home.[LNB] Matt Barlow: Money, lots of it. Experience because Hughes targeted big signings from Premier League clubs like Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez. City have plenty of firepower and an exceptional goalkeeper in Given. And a game in hand.[LNB]Weaknesses Aston Villa Matt Lawton: A lack of money to spend on improving their squad. [LNB]Ian Ladyman: O'Neill's squad is not as deep as he would like it to be and he also has two strikers in Emile Heskey and Jon Carew who don't hit the target often enough. Villa could have finished in the top four last season but ran out of legs. The same could happen again. [LNB]Matt Barlow: Can they unlock opposition who suddenly see them as a big team and pack the defence? Strikers Heskey and Carew appear prone to injuries.[LNB] Handle with Care: Villa must hope John Carew can stay free of injuries[LNB]Tottenham Matt Lawton: Consistency is the key and the chronic knee problem that limits Ledley King's appearances means Redknapp is forever changing his defence.[LNB] Ian Ladyman: Spurs still lack a world class goalkeeper and few teams in the Premier League will succeed without genuine quality between the posts.[LNB] Matt Barlow: Questions still surround goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. High balls into the box cause Spurs problems and there is no senior cover with Cudicini injured. Liable to suffer a freak result without warning, like Spurs 0 Wolves 1.[LNB] Manchester City Matt Lawton: Too fragile in defence - players like Wayne Bridge and Sylvinho are simply not good enough - and there are too many egos in the dressing room. Robinho should be sold next month. They never should have let Richard Dunne go.[LNB]Ian Ladyman: For all attempts by Mark Hughes to bring in players of sound mind, they remain mentally brittle in some areas.[LNB]Matt Barlow: Fragile at the back, lack of character in certain areas.[LNB] Name a player from each team who has impressed you [LNB]Aston Villa [LNB] Matt Lawton: James Milner. An outstanding talent and hugely versatile. [LNB] [LNB]Ian Ladyman: Richard Dunne.[LNB] [LNB]Matt Barlow: Milner. Totally unfazed by every new challenge. Super fit and reliable in any number of positions, but has been a revelation in central midfield. [LNB] [LNB]Tottenham [LNB] [LNB]Matt Lawton: Aaron Lennon. When he's on his game he's a massive asset to Tottenham and England. Let's hope he can maintain that form for the World Cup.[LNB] [LNB]Ian Ladyman: Jermain Defoe.[LNB] [LNB]Matt Barlow: Tom Huddlestone. Thriving alongside the energy of Wilson Palacios.[LNB] [LNB]Manchester City [LNB]Matt Lawton: Given. The City defenders often do the Irishman no favours but he is a big reason why they have lost fewer games than any of their rivals.[LNB] [LNB]Ian Ladyman: Craig Bellamy.[LNB] [LNB] [LNB]Matt Barlow: Craig Bellamy. Forgotten amid last summer's spending spree but his snarling menace has given City a lethal edge. [LNB] Where would you improve each team in January? [LNB]Aston Villa [LNB]Matt Lawton: More strength in depth, maybe a striker.[LNB] [LNB]Ian Ladyman: O'Neill's team need another goal poacher, someone who can grab a goal out of nothing. Maybe Ruud van Nistelrooy?[LNB] [LNB]Matt Barlow: When the team is the star it is dangerous to meddle mid-season, but what about Michael Owen, who gets on well with Heskey?[LNB] Keepsake: Spurs need a quality goalkeeper like Ben Foster[LNB] [LNB]Tottenham [LNB]Matt Lawton: Harry will have to do his dealing. Roman Pavlyuchenko will surely go and he likes Ryan Babel.[LNB] [LNB]Ian Ladyman: A keeper. With no money, I would try for Ben Foster on loan from Manchester United.[LNB] [LNB]Matt Barlow: Time to look beyond Ledley King and bolster the central defence. Ryan Shawcross or Brede Hangeland are more dependable, though not cheap. David James would solve the goalkeeping position. [LNB] [LNB]Manchester City [LNB]Matt Lawton: Defenders. And lots of them![LNB] [LNB]Ian Ladyman: Right back, central defender and a world class holding midfield player, like Ya Ya Toure, from Barcelona, or West Ham's Scott Parker. How about Everton's Jack Rodwell or even David Bentley?[LNB] [LNB]Matt Barlow: At the back. They could do with two better full backs but these are problem areas for most Premier League teams. Werder Bremen playmaker Mesut Ozil - one of Europe's hottest properties at the moment - is out of contract at the end of the season and should be on City's must-buy list in January. [LNB] Which manager has the best board to work for? [LNB]Matt Lawton: O'Neill. Lerner could have deeper pockets but the Villa board allow O'Neill to run Villa from top to bottom in the way Sir Alex Ferguson does at Manchester United and Arsene Wenger does at Arsenal.[LNB]Ian Ladyman: Mark Hughes. They have the most money.[LNB] [LNB]Matt Barlow: Martin O'Neill appears to have the perfect chairman in Randy Lerner.[LNB] [LNB]Which moment has definined the season so far for each of the teams? [LNB]Aston Villa [LNB]Matt Lawton: Beating Sunderland 2-0 after their win at Manchester United shows it wasn't a flash in the pan result.[LNB] [LNB]Ian Ladyman: Winning at United. They don't have a problem with the big teams.[LNB] [LNB]Matt Barlow: Last weekend's win at United, Villa's first at Old Trafford since 1983, proved there is something different about them this year. but the win at Sunderland three days later was more important. Their focus and desire is strong and Milner is a revelation in central midfield.[LNB] [LNB]Tottenham [LNB]Matt Lawton: Losing 1-0 at home to Wolves was a setback, but defeating Manchester City so convincingly showed their character.[LNB] [LNB]Ian Ladyman: Losing at home to United. Spurs still have a problem with the big teams.[LNB] [LNB]Matt Barlow: Starting the season with a deserved win against Liverpool was an early sign that last season's problems were out of the system and Spurs could eye the top places.[LNB] [LNB]Manchester City [LNB]Matt Lawton: Beating Chelsea after a run of draws. Now can they find winning consistency?[LNB] [LNB]Ian Ladyman: Drawing at Bolton. After beating Chelsea, they needed to push on but couldn't do it.[LNB] [LNB]Matt Barlow: The collapse at home to Burnley - the fourth draw in a run of seven - illustrates City's season of missed opportunities.[LNB] [LNB] [LNB]Which team has the manager most likely to spoil Rafa Benitez's end-of-season party? [LNB]Matt Lawton: I'd favour O'Neill - or Redknapp - ahead of Hughes. [LNB]Ian Ladyman: Martin O'Neill.[LNB] [LNB]Matt Barlow: At the moment, Benitez cannot expect to finish above any of them. O'Neill, Redknapp and Hughes are all very capable but Redknapp is a gambler. He will take a risk in January and it could make the difference.[LNB] [LNB]What is your final top four? Matt Lawton: Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool.[LNB] Ian Ladyman: Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool.[LNB] Matt Barlow: Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham. [LNB][LNB] [LNB]
