Tottenham midfielder Niko Kranjcar says the race for European places is wide open this season.

Kranjcar, brought to Portsmouth and then Spurs by Redknapp, believes the competition will indeed be fierce.

He told the club's official magazine: "Manchester City, Aston Villa and teams such as Sunderland and Stoke have all started well and are all out to surprise people. So there could be many clubs who are challenging.

"I'm not sure that we're seeing the top four reinvented or anything like that. But maybe there is a gradual emergence of a few sides who are making a real effort to break the grasp of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

"These are exciting times to be involved in the Premier League, that's for sure."