Bale boosts Spurs title surge Norwich 0 Tottenham 2

GARETH BALE hoisted Tottenham back into the title race but insisted: "We're not getting too excited yet."

The Welsh wizard's superb double destroyed Norwich and left third-placed Spurs just seven points behind City and United with a game in

hand.

Bale said: "It's been a good weekend for us with some of the other results of the teams around us but we won't be getting carried away.

"We will just take one game at a time and try to keep on playing this well.

"I think we have learned a lot from playing in the Champions League last season. We saw how the top teams play and now we try to do the same.

"The manager has been able to bring in a few top-quality players and that has really helped the team and my game as well.

"We just had to stay patient against Norwich because we dominated the first half without scoring.

"We had a chat at half-time and the boss told us to keep going and more chances would come.

"Luckily the chances fell my way and I was able to tuck them away."

Bale broke the deadlock from Emmanuel Adebayor's 55th-minute pass and sealed victory with a superb individual effort 12 minutes later.

Boss Harry Redknapp said: "All I will say about the title is that it's not impossible — but it's going to be very, very hard for us.

"United and City are both great sides and they are very, very strong. I would not like to pick a winner between those two.

"Our aim at the start of the season was to press on for a Champions League place and that remains the same.

"To do that we will have to see off Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool — and they are all very good sides.

"But I was delighted with how we played tonight.

"Anybody who watched that game will realise we are a good side who try to play the right way.

"Gareth took his goals really well and when he plays like that he's simply unstoppable. I freed him up tonight and told him to play where he wanted — and it seemed to work out really well."

Norwich boss Paul Lambert admitted: "We came up against a Tottenham side with so many good players in top form.

"It was difficult for us — but I'm still delighted with my players. We have done so well this season and if we show the same level of enthusiasm in the second half of the season then we will be OK."