manager Andre Villas-Boas has told his players that they must avoid another costly slip up at home against Reading on New Year’s day in their quest for a top four finish.

AVB doesn’t want to see standards subside in a game against a Reading team who visit White Hart Lane off the back of a 1-0 win against West Ham at the Madejski Stadium.

Spurs have the chance to finish off a Christmas schedule of near perfection with a win against the Royals, making it seven points from a potential nine.

Talking to Sky Sports the Spurs boss commented that the New Year’s Day game will certainly be a tough one, noting that "The problem with that fixture is that we have done extremely well away from home, but we have to keep up the momentum.”

"We have to keep our home form going and it would be silly for us not to continue at this level, so it is a fixture in which we really want to get the three points to close finally the festive fixtures with three wins, hopefully, and one draw.

"[The players] have been excellent. The December that we [have] had shows exactly that.

"We had big, big results against difficult teams and the Europa League in between.

"If we manage to take this form into January, it would be excellent."