The very first comment from a reader of this blog following the Man. City game last month was simply "I'm proud to be a Spurs fan". That statement no doubt reflected not only the way Spurs held their own in the backyard of the Premier League leaders but also how they conducted themselves in the face of thuggery. A repeat performance was required by the team at Anfield on Monday night and was duly delivered. And, unlike at the Etihad, Spurs emerged on this occasion with the point that their display merited.

At the beginning of the week, Spurs cemented their place in the top three with a fairly routine victory over Wigan, distinguished by the quality of the goals. Teams around them also conspired to help out as best they could, with Man. City losing at Everton and Chelsea only rescuing a point at Swansea thanks to a deflected injury-time equalizer.

"He loves playing in England. He keeps asking 'why always me, why does it always come back to me?' He loves playing in England and I think he feels persecuted."

It's a mark of how far Spurs have come this season that sitting in third place, and with a ten point lead over that other team from north London, has a slight tinge of disappointment. A win over Wolves would have meant drawing level - on points if not on goal difference - with Man. Utd. in second.

As the new year begins, Spurs sit in third place in the Premier League table, five points ahead of Chelsea in fourth and just three behind second placed Man Utd - and with a game in hand over both. In less than a week they will face Everton at White Hart Lane, where a home win will draw them level, on points if not on goal difference, with the faltering champions.

As Spurs travel to Carrow Road for the fixture against Norwich, results elsewhere have conspired to consolidate their position in the top four. With Chelsea and Liverpool both failing to take three points at home against inferior opposition, Spurs now have the opportunity to take a firm grip on third spot - especially if that other team from north London fail to maximize home advantage against Wolves.

The run of victories had to come to an end at some point and it's perhaps not entirely surprising that it did so at the Britannia Stadium. Eighth-placed Stoke were themselves coming off the back of two league wins and had already knocked Spurs out of the Carling Cup earlier in the season. The Spurs old boys in their side would certainly have been up for the game and, in the event, it was one of those, Matthew Etherington, who supplied their two goals.

Six league wins on the bounce. Third in the table (and even second, for an all too brief interlude) with a game in hand. November's Manager and Player of the Month trophies sitting on the mantlepieces of Harry Redknapp and Scott Parker. All in all, it's a pretty good time to be a Spurs fan.

In recent years "breaking into the top four" has generally meant finishing in fourth place behind Man. Utd, Chelsea and that other team from north London. This season the equation has shifted, with the relative newcomers Man. City heading the table and showing every indication that they will still be there at the end of the season. Spurs, for their part, now lie in third with a game in hand. The question is - how high can they go?

Such is the strength of the Spurs squad that the international break didn't provide much of a break for quite a few of them. Modric and Corluka were involved in one of the more significant games, namely Croatia's Euro 2012 playoff against Turkey. Although Corluka's opportunities at club level have been few and far between this season, he managed not only to set up the opening goal in a resounding 3-0 win but then get on the score sheet himself.

Sandro also found the net in Brazil's friendly against Gabon, while van der Vaart had a slightly less happy time, being taken off injured while turning out for Holland against Switzerland.