Club record signing Erik Lamela says with Chelsea faltering, this is Tottenham Hotspur's best chance to secure a Champions League spot.

Spurs find themselves fifth in the Premier League following Saturday's 1-1 draw at Arsenal in the north London derby.

Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho's Blues are way down in 16th after picking up just 11 points from their first 12 games.

And the Argentine believes now is the time for Mauricio Pochettino's side to capitalise on their London rivals' stuttering start to the season.

He told the London Evening Standard: This is our best chance. The team has improved and also Chelsea are not so well placed in the league, and they were one of the teams expected to be fighting for the top positions.

“I’ve had a great desire to play in the Champions League ever since I got here. This year we are closer than in other years. At certain times you can see we are a team who can get into the top four but we need to carry on working.

“We are getting better and that is important. This team is young and we have a lot of desire to improve. If you have ambition, you can achieve great things.

"But we have to keep winning, because Chelsea are a team who can get better in any moment.”