Ryan Giggs has predicted that Tottenham will push the Manchester giants close for the Premier League title but expects them to fall marginally short in the title race.
The United legend believes Spurs are the closest challengers to Manchester City and Manchester United, who are placed in the top two spots ahead of this weekend’s fixtures.
Giggs has been impressed by the north Londoners this season and their manager Mauricio Pochettino, and admitted he did not expect them to compete so strongly with the big guns who spent so heavily this summer.
But the Premier League all-time great has been won over by Tottenham after they crushed Liverpool at home last weekend to climb level on points with United before the two sides clash at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Giggs told the Sky Sports website: “The performance of the weekend had to be Tottenham’s 4-1 victory over Liverpool. I must admit I thought they would struggle to compete due to the improvements of the Manchester clubs and with Wembley, but you’ve got to say they are a fantastic team with a fantastic coach.
“Without a shadow of a doubt playing at the Bernabeu helped prepare them for that game. Once you get those sort of results you have an invaluable belief.
“Coming through one of the most daunting experiences in football certainly would have made it a lot easier to face Liverpool at Wembley.
“I’ll stick with going with one of the Manchester clubs for the Premier League but it is very, very close and a couple results between the top sides can turn that.”
OPINION
It is little wonder Giggs has changed his mind about Tottenham, but he clearly has not been paying enough attention to their transformation in recent seasons. Spurs might not be the biggest spenders, but there is no better coached side in the Premier League and Pochettino is proving himself as the best developer of young talent in world football. They won’t just be hanging on the coat-tails of the Manchester clubs, they are the team to watch.