Gareth Bale
Tottenham Hotspur's Bale is challenged by West Bromwich Albion's Dawson and Thomas during their English Premier League match at White Hart Lane in London. REUTERS

Tottenham's Welsh winger Gareth Bale has been quoted as suggesting Champions League rivals Arsenal should be looking over their shoulders right about now, as the race for the final automatic Champions League berth enters the final stretch.

The two clubs are separated by three points with eight games remaining and despite Arsenal's horror show at the start of the season and Spurs' poor form over recent weeks, both London clubs sit a reasonably comfortable five points clear of Chelsea in fifth.

"We haven't been at our best in the last month so it was vitally important that we put in a good performance and got a positive result at Stamford Bridge. Now hopefully we can get back to winning in the next game and then kick on and get that third spot. We need Arsenal to lose now so we can get back on level terms. The lads all know we have stopped the rot now. I think we have had our blip now and now we can look forward to some positive results and get back where we belong," Bale said, in a report in The Sun.

Meanwhile, Arsenal's Spanish midfielder has issued his own rallying call to his team mates. The Gunners are on a seven-match winning streak that has seen them not only claw back the 10-point deficit to rivals Spurs and all but definitely ensure Champions League football for next season but also lift some of the pressure of manager Arsene Wenger.

"If anyone thinks it's all done now, then they are making a big mistake. We can't take our foot off the pedal now. We have won seven in a row now, which is very difficult in the Premier League nowadays, and we have done it well, playing some high-tempo football, but there are some tough, tough games coming up in our last eight matches," Arteta said, in an earlier Sun report.

Arsenal will next play QPR, away, on 31 March.

Tottenham will next play Swansea, at home, on 1 April.

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