Contenders For UEFA Cup Places
Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Bolton, Portsmouth,Reading in contention
Bolton, Everton, Portsmouth, Tottenham and Reading are all desperate to finish high enough in the Premiership to ensure qualification for the UEFA Cup next season.
While all the attention in the Premiership focuses on the title race and the scrap to avoid relegation an equally interesting dog-fight is going on between the clubs with aspirations for UEFA Cup football next season.
Three places are available for those clubs finishing outside the top four which provides automatic qualification for the Champions League. Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal will claim the Champions League places while currently, Bolton Wanderers, Everton and Portsmouth hold the three UEFA Cup places with Tottenham Hotspur and Reading in close pursuit. An outsider for one of those places is Blackburn, although they are six points below the final European place with only three matches to play.
Everton’s cause was not helped today when they lost to prospective Premiership winners, Manchester United. That defeat allowed the other clubs to close the gap and mount a sustained challenge for the European places. Bolton will be pleased with the point from their visit to Stamford Bridge where they dented Chelsea’s title hopes and moved themselves ahead of the Merseyside club.
Portsmouth won at home to Champions League semi-finalists, Liverpool, taking a two goal interval lead with two goals in five minutes mid-way through the half from Mwaruwari and Kranjcar . They held on to claim the points despite Liverpool scoring through defender Sammy Hyypia early in the second half.
Tottenham Hotspur are on the same points as Portsmouth following their 3-2 win at Middlesbrough. A first half goal from Irish international Robbie Keane and a stunning goal from Bulgarian, Dimitar Berbatov immediately after half-time seemed to have set Spurs up for a comfortable win. However, a goal from Mark Viduka lifted Middlesbrough who mounted a sustained period of pressure but then Spurs broke through substitute Aaron Lennon who crossed for Keane to score his second. An own goal from Ledley King a minute from time again increased the pressure on Spurs but they held out. Spurs have a game in hand over all their rivals who have two games remaining.
The other team in contention are Reading who entertain Newcastle United on Monday evening. A win for Reading would enable them to leap-frog over both Portsmouth and Tottenham to put them seventh level on points with Everton.
The outsider with three games still to play are Blackburn Rovers who had a convincing home win over relegation candidates, Charlton. While it may be too late for Rovers to claim one of the UEFA Cup places they could have a big say in who actually qualifies – their final two games are against European contenders, Spurs and Reading.
