Patrice Evra has said it is foolish to dismiss Manchester United's chances of reclaiming the Premier League title but warned that they cannot drop points at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

David Moyes's team head to White Hart Lane on an 11-game unbeaten run and with confidence increased by Wednesday's 5-0 mauling of Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. While United are unbeaten in Europe and qualified for the knockout phase with a game to spare, they have struggled to find the same consistency in the Premier League and face Tottenham seven points adrift of the leaders, Arsenal.

Evra insists belief remains intact at Old Trafford and United's ability to overhaul the deficit cannot be discounted. The France international said: "People always write Manchester United off. Remember last year people were saying the same then, but in the end we won the league by 13 (sic) points.

"People think I just say that to look good but it is the truth. Wait until the end of the season. Every game, every year is a challenge playing for Man United. We are strong. We have mentally strong characters. Playing for United is never easy because when you put that shirt on we have the story of the club to consider. We have to show we love this team."

Despite the defender's confidence, Evra accepts Moyes's team must transfer their Champions League form to the domestic stage on Sunday to maintain hope of a 21st league championship. "We are playing well in the Champions League but we have to keep going at Tottenham," Evra said. "We didn't make the most of the Arsenal win and that was why we were so disappointed about the Cardiff draw. We are in good form but for that silly [late] goal at Cardiff. We have not lost for a long time and we want to keep winning and keep winning. We cannot afford to lose in the league.

"If we had won at Cardiff it would have been a bit easier going to Tottenham, but now we cannot afford to lose at White Hart Lane. We cannot afford to drop too many points and that is why Tottenham is now a very big game. Every game from now on is a big game because we had a bad start. If you calculate it – the draw against Southampton and Cardiff plus the defeat at home to West Brom – if we had won those matches we would be top of the league, and that is why we are so frustrated and upset."

Jonny Evans, who scored for United in Leverkusen, is expecting a reaction from André Villas-Boas's side following their 6-0 humiliation at Manchester City last weekend.

The United central defender said: "Tottenham will be pretty motivated. Leverkusen lost by a big score to us but they won't lose their next game by a big score. Sometimes things can go like that. Watching the Spurs-City game at the weekend, Spurs' heads went down after a couple of goals. It was similar to our game with Leverkusen. They will be looking for a fresh start on Sunday, especially at White Hart Lane, which is always a tough place to go."