The Tottenham Hotspur captain, Ledley King, believes the race to qualify for the Champions League will continue until the end of the season and feels certain that his side will remain one of the leading contenders to finish fourth.
Spurs climbed back into the Premier League's top four following their 2-0 victory over West Ham United on Monday and, having now won three of their last four matches, kept four clean sheets in the process and performed so impressively against West Ham that King feels confident it is they who will ultimately prevail.
"This is a battle that will go right to the end of the season and at the moment we're trying to put as many points on the board as we can and see where that gets us," said King, who started for Spurs on Monday for the first time in more than seven weeks.
"Right now we're really looking like a team capable of not only getting in the top four but also staying there. We've had a couple of hiccups, against Wolves and Stoke, but other teams are doing it as well. That is keeping us in there."
King's conviction is partly based on the improving strength of Spurs's resources. As well as himself, Luka Modric also returned to the starting line-up against West Ham having recovered from a fractured fibula sustained against Birmingham City in August and marked his comeback with the opening goal of the game.
The hosts' second goal, meanwhile, was scored by Jermain Defoe, who also came back into the team having been rested for the draw with Fulham last Saturday. That meant Tottenham's bench on Monday included the likes of Sébastien Bassong, Niko Kranjcar and Robbie Keane. Little wonder, then, that the Spurs manager, Harry Redknapp, continues to insist that he will not be making any purchases during the transfer window next month despite being linked with a host of players, most recently the Portsmouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
"We have a fabulous squad," said King. "It feels like we have two teams and they can both play. Competition for places is fierce and that is working in our favour."
Should Spurs, whose next league fixture is against Liverpool on 10 January, fall away from the reckoning for Champions League qualification, they can still reflect on what has been an incredible turnaround over the past 12 months.
The club ended 2008 in 16th position and with 20 points following a disastrous start to the season under the management of Juande Ramos. Under Redknapp, however, Spurs have won 20 out of a possible 38 league games in 2009 and go into the new year far closer to the top of the table than the bottom.
"It's been a terrific year," said Redknapp. "When I came here we were worried about relegation, but we've turned it around and are now doing really well.
"I've set the goals high and see no reason why we can't finish in the top four. It's going to be difficult but it's not impossible."
