Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has reiterated his side’s intention of sealing all three points in the North London derby and gaining an upper hand on their rivals in a bid to bolster their Champions League qualifying aspirations. Spurs host the Gunners at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday.

Under Antonio Conte’s tenure, Tottenham have overturned their terrible start from the beginning of the season and are now in contention of securing a top-four spot at the end of the season. Spurs currently sit fifth on the table and are four points behind Arsenal with the two teams set to face each other in a fierce North London derby on Thursday.

Victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will cut Arsenal’s advantage to a point with two games still to play as they aim to put pressure on their rivals and seal a Champions League qualifying spot at the end of the season. Conte revealed the magnitude of the match and spoke on the importance of gaining all three points. 

“These are important games for the table, first of all. It’s a vital game for us because if we want to continue having an opportunity to play in the Champions League we need three points, we need to win. There is no other solution for us. I  know the importance of this game. It’s a north London derby, but the first thing for us is that we have to try and win and get three points for the table,” Conte told Sky Sports.

“The game against Arsenal is an important game, it’s a north London derby, it’s important for the rivalry between the two teams, but the most important thing is the three points. With three points, it means we go very close to them and put pressure on them,” he added.