Given their recent good form and thumping win over Manchester United, the goalless draw at Fulham on Boxing Day has to be seen as a good result.

It was frustrating for the Spurs faithful to see only one point added to the tally with Villa slipping at Arsenal and Liverpool and City winning, but the race for that elusive Champions League spot is going to ebb and flow throughout the season, so a draw away from home is no disgrace.

Especially as that was followed up with a convincing home win over West Ham. It finished 2-0 but it could have been more and perhaps crucially, a fourth clean sheet on the trot was secured with some solid defending. The midfield also impressed, with Tom Huddlestone and the flying Aaron Lennon displaying their England credentials and the return of Luka Modric was a welcome bonus. The little Croatian was instrumental to Spurs’ early season form and his return to fitness has come at a crucial stage of the season.

The battle for fourth place looks to be as intense as ever this year, with a number of teams, including Spurs, in with a shout of capitalising on Liverpool’s nightmare season and claiming a Champions League place so often the property of a 4-strong exclusive club.

Aston Villa may have slipped up against Arsenal on Boxing Day but their recent good form, including a win at Old Trafford, means Martin O’Neill means business this year. New Man City boss Roberto Mancini has guided his side to two festive wins out of two. Granted it was against struggling Wolves and Stoke but the manner of the victories, with a busy Carlos Tevez in full flow, suggests the Italian’s prediction of Champions League football next season is not too wide of the mark.

Another team that shouldn’t be discounted is Alex McLeish’s Birmingham. They equalled a 108-year-old club record when they took all three points from the Britannia Stadium on Monday. It was their 11th game unbeaten and this latest victory against Tony Pulis’ battlers as well as a promised £40 million transfer kitty from new owner Carsen Yeung in January suggests they can set their expectations higher than just survival.

Let's not discount Liverpool of course, who have the biggest squad of the contenders and with Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres in their side, it seems a safe football bet that they are capable of stringing a number of wins together to climb the table.

Who will come out on top? I cannot even begin to predict! But one thing is for sure: the battle for fourth will be as tight as ever and Spurs will have to be at their best from now until the end of the season if they are to have a chance.