TOTTENHAM are ‘dark horses’ who are quietly proving that they cannot be ignored in this season’s title race, according to Alan Hutton.

Spurs are currently unbeaten in eight games in all competitions - a run which has included victories over Arsenal and Liverpool and, most recently, a 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday.

That left the Lilywhites four points behind the Blues and seven points off the top as the halfway point of the season approaches.

“I think we’re definitely a dark horse in the race. I don’t think anybody can really write us off,” said Hutton. “We’ll give it our best and, as we’ve said and as we’ve shown, we don’t fear anybody that we play, so I don’t see why we can’t be in with a shout.

“There may be a perception that Manchester City are more likely to do it than us, but I think it’s better that way - there’s no pressure on us. Everybody can see how well we’re playing and what we’re doing, so let the pressure be on them and we’ll just play away.”

With Chelsea hosting Manchester United this weekend, Tottenham could gain ground on their rivals with an away win over Blackpool at Bloomfield Road on Sunday.

However, the Lilywhites have only won one match outside London this season – against Stoke City on the second weekend of the season back in August.

Hutton is expecting another tricky away day against newly-promoted Blackpool, who moved into the top half of the table with their own victory at Stoke on Saturday.

And the Scottish full-back admits he is disappointed that one of his former Glasgow Rangers team-mates, Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam, will miss the clash at Bloomfield Road after picking up his fifth booking of the season at the Britannia Stadium.

“Blackpool have done absolutely amazingly and it’s going to be such a tough game for us, going there,” said Hutton. “We expect it to be really hard and we’re going to have to work extremely hard ourselves to stop them. I imagine it will be quite an open game and hopefully we can come out on top.

“Charlie and I more or less came through as young boys together at Rangers, and then I played with him in the first team as well so I know him really well.

“It’s a shame that he’s suspended because I imagine he would have been looking forward to playing us. I still speak to him quite a lot. He’s doing really well there and I’m happy to see him away from Rangers and showing everybody how good he actually is.”