Rafael van der Vaart has warned Arsenal that Tottenham will not be pushing the panic button in the race for third place despite hitting the self-destruct one in the north London derby.
Spurs were shellshocked after their biggest defeat in the fixture since 1978, but the Dutchman is confident they will bounce back in Sunday's crunch clash against Manchester United as they bid to become London's top club for the first time in 17 years.
''This is football and we had a bad day, that's all, it's just a game and we lost,'' said Van der Vaart, who watched Tottenham throw away a two-goal lead at the Emirates to go in level at half-time before coming off the bench during the interval.
''For the fans and for us as players, losing against Arsenal always hurts - but we are still third. We're still seven points ahead so we're not worried.''
He added: ''It won't be difficult to lift ourselves. Do we have the mental strength to put this behind us? Of course. Now we have a big week coming up against Manchester United.
''It's always difficult after the international break but the confidence is there and we showed in the first half that we are still a top team. Manchester United are a strong team and always difficult to beat but we're playing at home and we always play well at home.''
Indeed, Tottenham's only defeat at White Hart Lane came in August, when City crushed them 5-1. Spurs were riven by on- and off-field problems at that time and immediately bounced back to win 10 of their next 11 league games, roaring right back into the title race.
However, Van der Vaart admitted the Emirates collapse may have been the final nail in the coffin for their challenge.
''Of course, you always hope but Manchester City are winning their games so easily, especially now we have lost, so maybe the title is over,'' he said. ''Third is our main goal now and I'm really confident we can finish there.''
