Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has said that finishing in one of the top four places in the Premier League "is not a must".

Redknapp's side have had a firm grip on third place for much of the season, but are now just a point ahead of rivals Arsenal after a run of three straight defeats. Even so, Redknapp insists that their achievements should be considered no less impressive.

"Finishing top four is not a must," he said. "If we don't make it, it's just one of those things. We'll have given it our best shot.

"We don't have a divine right to be in the top four. If we finish in the top four — and I think we will — we've punched above our weight.

"We haven't finished above Arsenal or Chelsea for a long time and it looked like it would be tough to finish above Liverpool at the start of the season."

Meanwhile, Tottenham welcome Bolton Wanderers to White Hart Lane in the FA Cup this afternoon.