EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR has called on Tottenham to cement their place in the top four by taking maximum points from their home games this month.

Tottenham passed up an opportunity to close on Manchester City and Manchester United on Saturday when they could only draw 1-1 at Premier League new boys Swansea.

A win would have put Harry Redknapp’s men within four points of joint leaders United and City, who suffered shock defeats to Blackburn and Sunderland respectively this weekend.

But with home games against West Brom, Everton, Wolves and Wigan coming up this month, Spurs have a perfect opportunity to show that they can achieve the top-four spot that escaped them last term.

Speaking ahead of Tottenham’s game against West Brom tonight, Adebayor said:

“We have four games at home we have to focus on them and make sure we get maximum points out of them.

“Now 2011 is over, we are looking forward to 2012 and we have a big chance to finish in the top four, or maybe get second or third.

“The season will be long and tough but we just have to keep going, keep believing we can get in that top four and if you want to finish in the top four these are the games you cannot lose or draw.

“West Brom is going to be an important game for us.”

For Spurs fans, 2011 will be a year that lives long in their memory.

Having negotiated a difficult group containing Inter Milan, Redknapp’s men went on to beat AC Milan in the Champions League second round before being eliminated by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals – a remarkable achievement for a club taking part in the competition for the first time.

The likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale have all gone on to excel in the league this season, where Spurs bounced back from a disappointing start to go on a run of one defeat in their last 16 matches.

Despite missing the chance to put real pressure on the Manchester teams last weekend, Van der Vaart thinks the disappointment at drawing against a side with a stellar home record this season shows how far Spurs have come in the last 12 months.

“This is a really good time for Tottenham,” the Dutchman said. “That we are disappointed is a good sign because maybe a few years ago Tottenham were happy with a draw, but now we know we can do better. It was a great year, especially the first six months.”

Van der Vaart, who scored the opener at the Liberty Stadium, was again placed in a three-man attack with Bale and Adebayor.

The tactic worked in devastating fashion against Norwich, where Bale performed superbly, and Van der Vaart is happy with the new system Redknapp has employed.

“When it clicks it’s great,” Van der Vaart said.

“We need the ball, we need possession to make it work and it’s getting better and better.”

Sunday’s defeat to Everton aside, West Brom have enjoyed a successful festive period, beating Blackburn away before winning at Newcastle and drawing against Manchester City.

Spurs beat Roy Hodgson’s men 3-1 at the Hawthorns earlier this season and they are currently riddled with injury problems, but Van der Vaart expects a tough game at White Hart Lane.

He said: “We played them in November and they were strong, but so are we at home, especially with our fans.

“Every game you have to be 100 per cent otherwise you don’t win.”

Redknapp will make changes to the team that drew in Wales having kept the same line-up that played against Norwich just four days earlier.

Scott Parker will have a test on the knee injury which forced him off in the second half at the Liberty Stadium, while Aaron Lennon could return from the hamstring strain which has kept him out for the last fortnight.

If Parker fails to recover, the Spurs boss could select Jake Livermore in central midfield.