Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has claimed that the club's battle with Tottenham Hotspur for third place is as exciting as the Premier League title race.

The Gunners currently occupy the spot only by virtue of goal difference after they dropped points in Saturday's surprise 2-1 defeat at Queens Park Rangers.

"It's just as exciting as the race for first and second," Walcott told The Mirror. "The way that Newcastle are playing, they might come with a late shout and Chelsea are starting to pick up.

"Tottenham are always going to strong, but that blip against QPR is only going to stall us slightly. It means a lot to the players and fans to just go straight into the ­Champions League."

Arsenal will be looking to get their bid for Champions League football back on track when they host Manchester City in the league on Sunday.