There are several theories why. One is that this is just a quirky year with minnows punching briefly above their weight and bigger clubs – namely Tottenham and Newcastle – blipping.

It is interesting that it did not take a lot of money from Levy to tempt Redknapp to leave Portsmouth, rather it was the scale of the challenge after he turned down the chance to manage Newcastle United in January. Financially it [Spurs] wasn't a be....

EXCLUSIVE: QPR owner Flavio Briatore branded 'a dictator and a really nasty piece of work'

Of the others, Steven Gerrard will miss Liverpool's home game against Fulham. He trained alone yesterday and is also considered, by manager Rafael Benitez, as a doubt for next Wednesday's Champions League tie at home to Marseilles. Emile Heskey, who ....

The tightness of the table is unprecedented. Fulham, in 10th, are just six points from a Champions League berth and the same margin off the bottom.

The passion burns strong for Harry Redknapp Jnr, 61 years old, and every inch the man of the moment as he leads an extraordinary revival of Tottenham Hotspur. Last week at Fulham he lost his first game in charge of Spurs after five wins and a draw an....

Then, Gallas failed utterly a test of leadership on an afternoon in Birmingham when a potentially stunning season collapsed around the sickening injury to Eduardo da Silva. That was a blow that would have challenged the composure of any team, young o....

Wenger felt he had to act to try to halt the crisis that is in danger of engulfing Arsenal's season following the stuttering start to their League campaign – with four defeats – and serious injury to Theo Walcott and claims of divisions a....

6. v LIVERPOOL 7 Oct 2007. Spills a Gerrard free-kick, Voronin rebounds in a

at his disposal. The same goes for Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.

They are already eight points adrift of pacesetters Chelsea and Liverpool,

My dad would watch Jamie every week at Liverpool no matter where he played. He would get the train, Harry says. My mum would make a cheese and pickle roll for Jamie to eat after the game. Now remember, Jamie's playing for Liverpool.

Ferguson's injury worries show no sign of abating, either. Confirming that Wes Brown will probably be missing until next year having undergone exploratory surgery on his ankle and that there is only a slight chance that Dimitar Berbatov's hamstring s....

In previous seasons, at least one side looked down already. A year ago it was hapless Derby, on six points. Sunderland (with five points in 2005) and Sheffield Wednesday (five in 1999) were among other early nailed-on losers. But this season West Bro....

Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Spurs also have European commitments. Yet none of

Blackburn's Paul Ince said: With the league the way it is at the moment, everybody is beating each other. One win can push you up to half-way, and against Spurs and then Portsmouth we'll be looking to get points on the board.

It is a very busy life for a man who could have chosen to put his feet up and see his time out at Portsmouth. Instead Redknapp accepted the biggest challenge of his life when he left Fratton Park for Spurs in such dramatic fashion. In his first major....

Danny Webber is also likely to come back in contention after missing last weekend's defeat against Reading with a hamstring problem but defender Ugo Ehiogu is still suspended and Derek Geary is ruled out with a knee problem.

5. v READING 5 Jan 2008. Robbo misjudges a Stephen Hunt free-kick in 2-2 draw.

I had that recently at Portsmouth with the fitness coach. I said that a certain player hadn't worked hard enough that day. The coach said: 'His heart monitor reading is OK'. I said: 'I don't care, my eyes tell me that he hasn't run about and I don't....