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Harry Redknapp: Tottenham can use FA Cup semi-final to turn up title heat on Chelsea, but Arsenal face more pain

Wenger, Guardiola, Conte and Pochettino are all gunning for silverware this weekend: Getty Images
Wenger, Guardiola, Conte and Pochettino are all gunning for silverware this weekend: Getty Images

The FA Cup feels special again because four top managers go into this weekend’s semi-finals desperately needing to win the competition.

Underdogs causing upsets usually grab the headlines but this time the FA Cup has become a Premier League shoot-out between four of the best teams in the country: Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City.

Chelsea against Spurs on Saturday could have a real knock-on effect on the title race.

Whoever wins will get a real confidence boost and Antonio Conte needs that after losing to Manchester United last weekend.

They were dismal at Old Trafford and Conte didn’t look himself to me. He is usually jumping around on the touchline, screaming at his players but for some reason he seemed really quiet.

Jose Mourinho got the better of him and he wasn’t able to respond.

It was very strange. Whether he was unhappy at his team’s performance or not, I don’t know but even if that was the case, you’d expect to see him going mad trying to get a response.

The title is not a foregone conclusion any more and losing on Saturday — especially to Spurs — will only make them feel even more insecure about the run-in.

It will be very tight but Spurs start that game favourites for me. I’ve said all along that Tottenham’s starting XI is stronger than Chelsea’s.

They beat Chelsea 2-0 in January’s game at White Hart Lane and that will have helped them forget last season’s 2-2 draw, when both teams kicked each other about in a game that handed Leicester the title.

The key is keeping Eden Hazard under wraps like United did.

Spurs have the option of man-marking him like Ander Herrera did or they could match up with three at the back as earlier in the season — I’d look to do that if I was in charge.

Tottenham have an excellent young squad and I like Mauricio Pochettino a lot but a trophy would give them a platform to go to the next level.

Pochettino has never won anything as a manager and it would be recognition for all the good work he has done there, as well as giving the fans something to celebrate for the first time in years.

Spurs weren’t on top of their game when playing at Wembley in the Champions League but at least they have experience of the place now so that might not be as much of a factor as before.

They have a head start in that respect on everyone else, including Arsenal and City who meet in the other semi-final on Sunday.

It is hard to see how Arsenal are going to get a result.

They were a little better against Middlesbrough on Monday in playing 3-4-3 and I guess Arsene Wenger had to try something after their dreadful performances in recent weeks.

But a back three of Laurent Koscielny, Gabriel and Rob Holding doesn’t inspire me.

Compare that to Spurs when they play the same system and I know which three I would take.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Nacho Monreal played wing-backs but they don’t stack up against Kyle Walker and Danny Rose.

Wenger’s under massive pressure at the moment and although they are more worried about getting back into the top four, another failure in a big game will bring his critics out of the woodwork again.

City are inconsistent but the problem for Arsenal is that they can suddenly click and turn it on.

Vincent Kompany coming back in transforms their defence and their attacking players can kill you if they fancy it on the day.

Pep Guardiola has not had the impact he wanted in his first season and will be looking to improve an awful lot next year.

But not many managers come in and win a trophy in his first season so Guardiola will be keen to win the FA Cup so he can show people they are on the right track despite not seriously competing for the League.

Sometimes the FA Cup semi-finals can be a non-event but these are two great games to look forward to.

By Sunday night, two managers will be under even more pressure.