Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp, says that Gareth Bale has the potential to become the best left back in the entire Premier League.

Bale has managed to hold down a regular first team place in the Spurs side and has managed to create a significant impact. He is now part of the Spurs side and the manager does not see him being dropped for a long time.

Bale is also a regular international for the Wales senior side and is growing in experience and stature all the time. It could mark the start of a realising in potential that everyone has said he has for a long time.

Redknapp said: “Gareth is playing superbly, he’s been in great form. I didn’t want to shift him from the left-back position because he’s been outstanding there but we didn’t have many spare bodies at Fulham.”

“He can play wide left or left-back anyway, he can do both jobs and he was a real threat. He’s in great form and is full of confidence.”

“He’s got bigger and stronger and people forget he’s still only a young lad. He’s toughened up a lot, his attitude is stronger, he’s physically stronger, mentally stronger and he has terrific ability, pace, a great left foot – he’s got everything.”

“I think he will go on to be one of the best left-backs or left-sided players in the modern game.”

Spurs are still fighting on a number of fronts but the thing they will want more than any thing by the end of the season is to hang onto fourth place and break into the Champions League for the first time.

This will be difficult though because there are many teams who are currently trying to achieve this. Bale will play a big role in the run in if Spurs are going to get into fourth place and hold the fort.

What Bale does so well is defend from the first part of the game to the last. He then looks to try and get forward to provide another attacking outlet whenever he can. His form has started to mirror Chelsea’s Ashley Cole when he plays at his best.

Bale also has a deadly left foot, which Spurs have been using to deliver balls from free kicks and set plays. Bale would probably be the first to admit that he does not score enough goals but that will come with time and patience.

Since he made the move from Southampton, a former club of Redknapp, he has grown slowly. It is only recently that he has managed to burst into the side and make big contributions.

Whether or not he can hold this down and continue it over a longer period of time remains to be seen.

He has become a crowd favourite at White Hart Lane and there do not seem to be any signs of Bale’s form stopping just yet. Provided he stays injury free, the future is bright.

Arsene Wenger says he is hoping to draw an English team and get some revenge during the quarter final stage of the Champions League.

His Arsenal side romped to a 5-0 win over Porto last night and showed why they are still the best football side in Europe when they decide to get the ball down and play football.

Niklas Bendtner scored a hat trick as the team did not look as though there were any hang overs from the first leg defeat they suffered on a long and miserable night in the Portuguese city.

Wenger said: “I have a funny feeling that maybe it is good for us to play an English team. We have not done well against Chelsea and not done well against United this year, and it will be a good opportunity to show that we can do it against them.”

“It’s a good opportunity if we get them to show we can do well. If I had a choice I would say yes. If we get them we cannot do worse than we did in the championship, we can only do better.”

“It shows first of all how quickly football changes, but I hope it will not give him too much confidence. I’m happy for him because he had a good game on Saturday but missed chances, and today he had less chances and scored three goals.”

“It’s good for his confidence, but I hope it gives him the desire to work even harder. His confidence level is always stable. He has the size and presence we need. We’re usually a short team, so someone with size is important, offensively and defensively.”

Arsenal are a very difficult side to try and predict when they play in Europe. They are capable of performances like this but they are equally capable of falling short when teams work them out and counter attack their style of play.

Wenger may say that he wants to play an English side but deep down there will probably be a small part of him that hopes to avoid the possibility. For now they will bask in this latest glory.

Bendtner added: “Sometimes it’s one of those days [against Burnley] and today I put it right. I’m happy with my hat-trick, but tomorrow we move on.”

“It will give us a lot of confidence. We want to win the Champions League. It’s something we haven’t done. We scored all our chances today, which is very positive.”

Arsenal are still fighting for glory in the Premier League as well as Europe and there may come a point in the near future where the club have to focus on trying to win just one.

Their squad is not big enough to win both of these competitions and Porto were one of the weaker teams left in the running to lift the Champions League trophy.

Arsenal need to stay grounded after this win because it will be easy to get carried away with the score the way it was.

Chelsea assistant manager, Ray Wilkins, has said that he thinks it is time for the abuse of club captain, John Terry, to come to an end.

Terry has been receiving jeers ever since it emerged that he had an affair with the girlfriend of former team mate, Wayne Bridge, at a point in the not too distant past.

However, Terry has been playing as well as he ever has been and Wilkins seems to think it is time the fans started applauding him for getting around a difficult situation and keeping up high performance levels.

He said: “I would like to think the abuse would stop. It’s served its course. But it’s happening and John’s just getting on with the situation. I’m not too happy about the abuse, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“He’s dealing with the situation in the only way he can – committing himself to the cause. He’s an exceptional captain and we’re delighted to have him on board. He leads these players on the pitch in fantastic fashion and scored the second goal which was a great goal.”

“This was another superb performance from him.”

Terry himself added: “The armband means a lot. Chelsea have been very supportive, the players as well. It has been a good week, good to get away with England, play well and then come back here and prepare for this game.”

Chelsea are looking very good this season and they are still in with a good chance of winning on more than one front. If they do go onto get some success then a large part of it will be down to the role Terry has played.

The point is that people have been saying that it is impossible for other players to put their trust in someone like Terry who clearly ignores the meaning of the word, respect, at times for other clubs and other professionals.

It may be a long time until Terry gets his captaincy job with England back. He may actually never get it back if Fabio Capello stays as the England boss for as long as Terry continues to play.

It is clear he is very grateful for all of the support he has been getting at Chelsea. There are a number of other clubs that probably would have taken the situation a lot more badly and could have shown him the exit signs.

The recent goings on in Terry’s life seem to slowly going away but the fans are a hard bunch to keep happy and suppress. It will be a long time before the chants stop as Wilkins wishes them to do so.

This is something that Terry will just have to go on and play with. He has proved that he can cope and he has now played against Manchester City, for England and still captained Chelsea and it does not seem to have influenced the way he plays football.

Former Manchester United legend, Ole Solskjaer, has said that his old team cannot afford to make any mistakes in the build up to the end of the season.

United are currently fighting for the title, which will mean they have secured more league victories than the old record that Liverpool set during the 1980s when they were arguably the best team in the world.

Solskjaer, who now coaches the United reserve team, says that even one slip up will cost United the title, as there are a number of teams circling around like vultures, waiting to make a title push.

He said: “We can put a good run together but we can’t afford any more slip-ups if we’re going to realistically challenge for the title. The players know that, the manager knows that and we’re geared up.”

“Whenever you see a striker scoring goals you are happy for him. Wayne’s really put the practice in on the training ground, repeating and repeating himself. That’s what it’s all about as a striker, to get the repetition in, and then you can act on instincts rather than having to think about it when you get on the pitch.”

“You see how successful he’s been and you see how he goes about his business. That’s a recipe for success. He wants people around him who are just as hungry as him and want to win to make United the best team in the world.”

The striker has been considered as Sir Alex Ferguson’s best ever purchase during his time in charge at United. It is also clear that his coaching role means he is still a respected person and many at the club would do well to pay close attention to him.

United’s likely challengers are going to be Chelsea and Arsenal from this point onwards. All of these teams are waiting for each other to make mistakes and as soon as that happens, there will be a gap between the teams.

History has shown that the team who does not make one mistake in the run up to the end of the season always tends to go on and win it with relative ease. United also have much more experience in how to deal with the current situation than the other sides around them.

Arsenal are the outside bet while Chelsea lead the pack and United are just off the shoulder of the blue London side. There best chance to sneak ahead is when they meet Chelsea, as this will provide the chance to take three points off of their main title rivals.

Solskjaer saw it all during his time with the club and experienced many situations like the current one going on with the team. He will be hoping that he can offer guidance and assistance to help Ferguson reach a record 19th title for the club. It will be a tough and up hill challenge but it is clear the Norwegian and the club have lost not a single part of hunger and desire.

Arsenal player, Emanuel Eboue, says that he is looking forward to playing Stoke City possibly more than any other club this season.

Stoke are one of the big surprise packages of recent times, have a great set of supporters and one of the most under rated managers in the entire country in Tony Pulis.

Arsene Wenger will take a gifted group of players into the game and Eboue says it will be interesting to play against the less subtle play Stoke are well known for. It is a clash of football cultures and should produce a great match.

The midfield player said: “We don’t want to change our performances – we will always try to play our way. We must be patient, clever and focused on Saturday and remember that it will be very difficult for them as well as us. We lost against them before but we have to go there to win.”

“It is always like this and not just in this league. Even in the Champions League we play teams who always try to kick us because they know we are so quick with the ball. We are very technical and that’s why we get kicked but we must play our football.”

“It doesn’t matter if they kick us, we must do our thing and always believe in ourselves. Many people say Arsenal are not strong enough. They say we have got too many young players but we play our own football. We don’t like to give the ball away and want to play on the attack.”

“We need to win a trophy this season for our club. It has been such a long time since we did something. To be a good family, we must win something together. For me, I don’t think Fabregas, me or William [Gallas] will leave this club. We have still got contracts with Arsenal. We are Arsenal players and I think we all want to win something together.”

Arsenal are still in with a very good shout of winning something this season. It has been a long time since they last lifted a trophy and if they were to snatch the Premier League away from Chelsea or Manchester United then it could be considered Arsene Wenger’s biggest ever coup.

The main problem for the North London team has been injuries. They are missing a number of key players who are important to first team plans and when they get all of these players back, it will be the business end of the season.

Eboue added: “If I wanted to leave this club, I would have done it a long time ago but not now. We want to score very quickly, that’s why we forget to defend plays, that’s why when we play we concede some easy goals. But now I think we are stronger than before.”

It is a hard game to call because Stoke have come through bigger games with their heads held high. Arsenal may just nick it with the extra quality.

Inter Milan manager, Jose Mourinho, has been savouring the sweet taste of success after he beat his former club, Chelsea, last night.

There had been many exchanges of words between Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti before the game but it is the Portuguese who won the game 2-1 and will take back a narrow lead to Stamford Bridge.

Inter were really up for the game and it is encouraging to see that Mourinho has lost not a single part of his tactical prowess and knowledge. Chelsea will feel cheated out of a second away goal as they feel they should have had a penalty but it was not to be.

Mourinho said: “At Stamford Bridge I expect everyone to be pleased to have me back, as we were happy together. I go back to a different dressing room, a different dugout, and they know that normally Mourinho is lucky at Stamford Bridge.”

“I have to control my emotions. I have to be professional, like I was today and like the Chelsea players were today. In the tunnel it was not a normal game for me and it was not a normal game for them, but on the pitch it was a normal game.”

“Of course I’m happy inside, as a professional I want to win, more than anybody else.”

Ancelotti added: “I think it was a penalty in the first half, but a penalty is when the referee whistles. We were unlucky this evening and hope it will be better in the future. I believe we played quite well. We played a good game, with personality, with courage and with spirit. The result is not so positive, but not so bad.”

“Cech has an injury on his calf. We have to wait and control his condition and see when he can return to the squad.”

Inter fans will be encouraged to see that their team have come a long way since they were soundly beaten in the same competition by Manchester United last season.

It really was an exciting and high-tempo Champions League tie that many people will not forget in a hurry. The Inter boss now has a bit of ammunition to take back to Chelsea with him and it will be interesting to see just how Inter approach the game.

Chelsea will back themselves on their own ground to beat anyone who comes to play. The team will also be intent on making up for the disappointment of being knocked out by Barcelona last season in such controversial fashion.

The game is very evenly balanced and it is exciting for the neutral to behold. Mourinho will most likely have a little sense of smug self-satisfaction but he is not naïve enough to think that Inter are through yet.

Let’s just hope he doesn’t come and park the bus or look a little nervous on his former hunting ground. It wouldn’t be surprising if Inter now run away with it.

Tottenham, Stoke, Reading and Aston Villa each secured their passage to the FA Cup quarter final on Wednesday night after Wednesday night’s fifth-round replays.

On a night when all eyes were on Europe’s premier club competition the UEFA Champions League, there were four fifth-round ties to be settled in England’s premier cup competition.

Tottenham 4 Bolton 0

Bolton paid the price for not finishing off the job in the first meeting between these side as they were demolished 4-0 by a rampant Tottenham Hotspur.

The sides drew 1-1 in the Reebok Stadium first time out, but Harry Redknapp’s face proved too strong at White Hart Lane with in-form striker Roman Pavlyuchenko continued his new found confidence with his second brace in consecutive games.

The Russian opened the scoring after 23 minutes and, with a pair of own goals courtesy of Jussi Jaaskalainen (35) and Andy O’Brien (47) sandwiched in between, he rounded of the night with his second three minutes from full time.

Tottenham’s next task in the cup is to overcome Roy Hodgson’s Fulham, but they’ll have to do so at Craven Cottage.

Stoke City 3 Man City 1 (AET)

At the Britannia, meanwhile, Stoke and Man City met for the third time in twelve days and for the third time the pair were deadlocked at 1-1 after 90 minutes. It took until the 79th minute for the opener through Dave Kitson, only for Craig Bellamy to grab an instant reply two minutes later.

Emmanuel Adebayor then received his marching orders for an apparent shove on Ryan Shawcross and with the full time whistle sounding soon after, extra time was required to decide the tie. Stoke took full advantage of the extra man in the extra 30 minutes, as first Shawcross headed the Potters into the lead on 95 minutes before Tuncay Sanli put the game beyond doubt four minutes later.

Stoke’s reward is a trip to Stamford Bridge where they will face holders, and tournament favourites, Chelsea.

Aston Villa 3 Crystal Palace 1

There were penalties galore at Villa Park as Crystal Palace’s cup run came to an end as they went down 3-1 to Aston Villa. The home side took the lead shortly before half-time through Gabby Agbonlahor’s well taken header.

In-form Palace midfielder Darren Ambrose got his 17th goal of the season from the spot on 73 minutes as the Londoners looked to be taking their Premier League opponents into extra time but it wasn’t to be as two more penalties spoiled their night.

Mathew Lawrence was the guilty player as he brought down John Carew inside the area and the big Norwegian picked himself up and scored from the resulting penalty to send Villa on their to the quarters.

There was still time for another penalty, however, as Lawrence once again brought down the Villa striker for a second time and for a second time Carew rose to his feet to find the back of the net.

Villa will now travel to Reading, who also won on Wednesday night, for their quarter final tie.

West Brom 2 Reading 3 (AET)

Elsewhere, Reading’s remarkable FA Cup run continued as they once again dumped out higher ranked opposition, this time West Brom were the victims in a 3-2 defeat at the Hawthorns.

Robert Koran gave the Baggies an early lead before Jimmy Kebe levelled for Reading just three minutes later. Koran restored the lead for West Brom, who are riding high in the Championship as opposed to Reading’s relegation fight in the same division, but they were be denied by a late equaliser.

That came via the right foot of Brian Howard, sending the away section in the Hawthorns Stadium wild. Extra-time beckoned and a deflated Baggies side struggled in the extra half hour with Gylfi Sigurdsson grabbing his tenth of the season with an emphatic long range drive to seal progression.