Harry Redknapp credited Sunderland following their 3-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur.
Former Spurs striker Darren Bent scored twice against his former side and was also denied a double from the penalty spot.
Redknapp said when asked about Bent’s goalscoring display: “It doesn’t bother me, good luck to him. He’s in good form, he scored a couple of goals, so what?”
He added: “It’s still wide-open, we just need to get one or two players back, that’s our problem.
“From the neutral’s point of view, it was probably a great game.
“They (Sunderland) were up for it today – they don’t play like that every week, do they?
“But today, they were full of it. They chased every ball, they pressed, they worked – they played very well today. Full credit to Sunderland.”