Joelinton scored the only goal as Spurs were stunned by Premier League strugglers Newcastle United in North London.
Harry Redknapp is still confident that Tottenham Hotspur will finish third in the Premier League despite a shock home defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday, speaking to the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast on talkSPORT (27 August, 8am).
Three games into the 2019/20 season, Spurs’ title chances appear to be hanging by a thread already. Mauricio Pochettino’s side were a contentious VAR decision away from a deserved defeat at Manchester City, grabbing the most fortunate of draws despite being considerably outplayed, but their luck ran out when Newcastle came to town.
Joelinton scored the only goal of the game and, for all their huffing and puffing, a Tottenham side lacking inspiration with Christian Eriksen on the bench never really looked like turning the game around.
But Redknapp, who spent four years at Spurs between 2008 and 2012, is still confident that Pochettino will lead his team to another third place finish – despite harbouring hopes that they would close the gap to Manchester City and Liverpool.
“I don’t know what’s going on. It seems a bit strange. I must admit I did think they would get closer to Manchester City or Liverpool,” Redknapp said.
“I certainly didn’t see them finishing any worse than third again this year. I think they will finish third but they haven’t had a great start. They haven’t played well.”
Fortunately for Spurs, the glaring weaknesses within Arsenal and Manchester United were brutally exposed too during damaging losses against Liverpool and Crystal Palace respectively.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have looked erratic and a more than a little vulnerable at the back during the early months of Frank Lampard’s tenure.
So Tottenham are still very much the ‘best of the rest’ – even if the gap between second and third might be in danger of becoming a chasm.
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