Rafael van der Vaart admits the 5-2 thrashing by Arsenal on Sunday has probably ended any lingering hopes of a title challenge by Tottenham.
Spurs ace admits their dreams of becoming champions are gone
Rafael van der Vaart admits the 5-2 thrashing by Arsenal on Sunday has probably ended any lingering hopes of a title challenge by Tottenham.
The defeat leaves the London club ten points behind leaders Manchester City with champions Manchester United the visitors to White Hart Lane on Sunday.
But while title hopes may have been dashed, Spurs remain on course for third place and UEFA Champions League football next season.
Harry Redknapp's side have a seven-point cushion between them and the chasing pack of Arsenal and Chelsea, who are tied on points in fourth and fifth place respectively.
Progress
And Van der Vaart believes fans should not be downhearted as that would represent significant progress for the side as they look to establish themselves as the best team in the capital before conquering the country.
He said: "The title? Of course you always hope but Manchester City are winning their games so easily, especially now we have lost, so maybe the title is over.
"Third is our main goal now and I'm really confident we can finish there.
"It won't be difficult to lift ourselves. Do we have the mental strength to put this behind us? Of course.
"It will be difficult against United but the confidence is there. This season, we have nearly always played well at home. Yesterday was a bad day but that's all it was."
