Kyle Walker insists Tottenham have no reason to feel inferior to Arsenal as the north London rivals battle for Champions League football next season.

The Gunners edged out Spurs for a place in the top four in 2012 and 2013, maintaining manager Arsene Wenger’s record of playing in Europe’s top club competition in every season since 1997/98. By contrast, Spurs have competed in the Champions League only once, in 2010/11.

Fifth-placed Arsenal are two points and one place above Tottenham this season and it looks likely to be another tight race – but Walker insists Spurs have as good a chance as anyone.

He said: “Arsenal are always going to be up there as they have fantastic players but so have we. We’ve got a dressing room full of internationals and good-quality players, who have shown this season what they can do.

“Champions League is where every player wants to be but the way we’re going now, I think we can get there. I don’t want to jinx anything but if we play as we did when we beat Chelsea 5-3, why can’t we do it?





“When Chelsea came to White Hart Lane, we proved that it wouldn’t be an easy game for them. It will be a battle for the top teams. If they want to beat us, they’re going to have to out-work us, out-pass us and outplay us.

“In recent seasons, we’d struggle to pick up points against the top teams and that’s where we were struggling to bridge the gap but this season we’ve beaten Chelsea, drawn with Manchester United and Arsenal.

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“If we can keep getting over that bridge, the gap to the top sides will be smaller and we will be right up there. When you look at how young the team are, I think the future is very bright.

“We probably don’t have the big-name players over the past – Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart – but the same desire is there, the same work ethic and, I believe, the same quality.

“I never beat Chelsea 5-3 before in my career here, so that says everything. In the past, we might have struggled to win a game like that after going 1-0 down, but given the youth and enthusiasm in this team, I always think we can.”

Tottenham face Burnley in Wednesday’s replay at White Hart Lane for a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Should Spurs win, they will end January having played nine games – an average of one every 3.4 days.

Walker, 24, has recently returned after an eight-month absence from competitive action due to a pelvic problem, which required surgery. “I’m still getting back into it but I think I’m only going to get stronge,” added Walker, who recently joined an EA SPORTS FIFA 15 panel to debate their Ultimate Team of the Year. “

The EA SPORTS FIFA 15 Ultimate Team of the Year is available NOW! Play against the best players in the world or find them in packs in Ultimate Team until January 19th. Find out who Kyle Walker, Rio Ferdinand, Joey Barton and Bayo Akinfenwa picked in their team of the year at youtube.com/easportsfifa