Arsene Wenger insists five teams are in the title race in what the Arsenal boss reckons is the most competitive Premier League season ever.
The Gunners head to the Reebok Stadium to play Bolton on Sunday and Wenger will see three points as the minimum requirement with it so tight at the top.
The French tactician believes the overall standard of the top flight has risen this term and that Manchester City and Tottenham are among this season's title contenders.
"All the teams who have over 36 points can still hope," Wenger said of City and Spurs joining Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal in the race for the domestic crown.
"There has been a general lift in the level of the teams. In January no team is completely out of anything.
"There are teams who play for the title and the Champions League and teams who play not to go down. Usually you have six or seven teams not concerned at either end. This year that is not the case. There is life in every game."
Financial concern
Wenger also reiterated his concern for football's finances after seeing Portsmouth and Crystal Palace struggle to pay wages in recent times, while even Manchester United are trying to restructure their mammoth debts.
Wenger, renowned for being unwilling to spend big money on players, claims his transfer policy has been justified following the plights of Pompey and co.
"I am not conservative," he said. "I am realistic. It is different. We spend only the money we get. We have nobody who comes out when you lose £250million and says 'Listen, I make you a cheque' and life goes on. We live in a realistic world."
Asked whether he could envisage a Premier League club filing for bankruptcy, he added: "I am tempted to believe that because once the clubs start to (spend) the television income of the year after and the season tickets of the years after, that's a very dangerous trend.
"It means if you are not very successful on the pitch you're dead."
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