In an interview with the Enfield Independent, Harry Kane has stressed the importance of defensive stability if his Tottenham Hotspur side are to finish in the top four of the Premier League this season.
Tottenham finished fourth last season after a brilliant run of form in the second half of the campaign saw them overtake London rivals Arsenal.
Of course, a top-four finish is important as it secures Champions League qualification.
Despite an inconsistent run of form this year, Spurs find themselves in fourth place in the Premier League as things stand.
The Lilywhites currently sit on 45 points after 25 games, four points behind third-place Manchester United, who have played a game less.
Newcastle United are in fifth, four points behind Spurs, but with two games in hand.
It’s a tight race for the Champions League spots this term, but a recent string of good results have put Antonio Conte’s side in a strong position.
Speaking on the chances of Spurs finishing in the top four, Kane said: “We spoke about it a lot over the last few weeks.
“Clean sheets are going to win us games, because we have good attacking power and we’re going to create chances.
“We’ve done that well, apart from the Leicester game, which was a blip, but in the games around that we’ve been solid and kept clean sheets.
“If we want to be around the top four at the end of the season, we’re going to need performances like that.
On the recent win at Chelsea, Kane added: “This was a really important result. Chelsea are a top team, tough to play against and we’ve struggled (against them), especially here at home in the last few years.
“We played really well, especially in the second half, when I thought we put our foot on the pedal and deserved the 2-0 win.”
Spurs Web Opinion
We have looked a lot stronger defensively of late and it’s served us well.
It’s an old cliché but the foundation of any team is a solid defence, and it’s allowing our attackers to feel more comfortable playing expansively.
If we can keep building on that at the back, I fancy us to take fourth place come the end of the season.