All thoughts of European football appeared to have disappeared after a run of one win in eight Barclays Premier League matches since the turn of the year.

That sequence destroyed all the early-season optimism which followed Eriksson's arrival - expectations which only increased after the club occupied a place in the top four for the first couple of months.

But Sunday's come-from-behind win over Tottenham Hotspur has given the former England manager and his players renewed impetus for the final two months of the campaign.

"We needed that. It means good things for us. If we had lost it would have been very difficult (to achieve a UEFA Cup place)," said the Swede, whose side moved back up to eighth.

"I hope this is the turning point and that we can play well for the rest of the season. As long as it is mathematically possible, we should believe in it and fight for it.

"If we have two or three or four wins in a row everything changes very quickly.  All the sides above us will not win every game, I suppose, so we still have a chance to do it. To stop believing now would be crazy."