VDV wants big finish

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has his sights firmly set on reclaiming third spot from rivals Arsenal after the balance of power shifted back towards Harry Redknapp’s men.

Spurs were considered title challengers at the turn of the year but a poor run of form combined with seven straight Arsenal victories left them trailing their North London neighbours by three points.

However, Spurs capitalised on Arsenal’s surprise slip up at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday to move back level on points with the Gunners after a 3-1 home victory over Swansea City.

With Chelsea and Newcastle United finding form at the right time, a Champions League place is not a foregone conclusion for either of the London clubs. Van der Vaart thinks Arsenal could feel the heat.

"I hope Arsenal are getting nervous. It's a big battle – Chelsea also keep winning – and it's not going to be easy to lead from the front," Van der Vaart told The Sun.

The incentive of finishing third is not lost on the Dutchman, who is keen to avoid a Champions League play-off round and book an automatic passage into the group stage.

"It’s important we finish third not fourth because in qualifying there are some big teams and you never know what can happen," Van der Vaart said.

The 29-year-old former Real Madrid star believes Tottenham’s favourable run-in could go a long way to deciding who seals third spot, with Arsenal facing Manchester City and Chelsea in the coming weeks. Van der Vaart is content with Spurs’ form going into the final stages of the season.

"We were a little low on confidence but we showed we're still there and want to be in the top three. There's still a long way to go but confidence is back," he added.

Whilst premier league betting predictions had Spurs nailed on for a top four finish in recent weeks their dip in form has neatly correlated with blistering runs of for by arch-rivals Arsenal and the under rated Newcastle United; a team who did not start the season with Premier League best odds.