Jan Vertonghen believes Tottenham have proved they have the credentials to be regular title challengers for years to come.

Spurs remain seven points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea, thanks to last night’s dramatic 3-1 win at Swansea, which took them to 65 points — only five fewer than they collected in the whole of last season — with eight games remaining.

While Vertonghen admits it will be tricky to reel in Chelsea, he hopes Spurs can at least cause them some “stress” along the way. More importantly, he argues that Tottenham’s performances this season and last — when they pushed eventual champions Leicester for long periods — underline they are here to stay.

“We have shown in the last year or two what we are capable of,” said the Belgium central defender, who captained Tottenham in the absence of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who was taken ill before last night’s match. “People always said Tottenham were able to beat the smaller teams but not the big ones.

“In the past couple of years, we have been doing both. Teams are now keeping us in mind when they talk about winning the league or finishing in the top four. Before, it was always ‘Tottenham will finish fifth or sixth’.

“Especially in the past two seasons, we have proved we belong where we are. We have some massive quality. I don’t know what is necessary to win the league — maybe a bit of luck — but there is something very special about this group.

“At Swansea, we were without maybe five players (Lloris, Harry Kane, Danny Rose, Victor Wanyama and Erik Lamela) who would normally play. It was unbelievable how the other guys were able to fit in. Vincent Janssen, for example, came off the bench and made a difference. We have a strong squad who can beat anyone in the Premier League.

“Chelsea are looking very strong. We won’t stop pushing for the title and dreaming about it, but they had a big win over Manchester City and the gap is still seven points. They have difficult games coming up, though, so we have to keep winning and, hopefully, they get a bit stressed.”

Spurs’ next two fixtures are against Watford and Bournemouth, both at White Hart Lane. Chelsea go to Bournemouth on Saturday and travel to Manchester United a week later.

Tottenham’s win at Swansea also cemented their place in the top four. They are now 11 points clear of Arsenal, who have a game in hand. Spurs have not finished above the Gunners since 1995, while their late-season collapse last year allowed their rivals to claim second place behind Leicester.

Vertonghen added: “We want to secure that Champions League spot as soon as we can and then see what else is possible.”