Liverpool gaining fresh ground

The teams meet at Stamford Bridge on Sunday level on 64 points but as Chelsea have the better goal difference, a draw will send them into the qualifying round for next year’s Champions League and Liverpool into the UEFA Cup.

Chelsea would have already been virtually assured of fourth place had they taken three points from West Ham United last week but they were deservedly beaten 1-0 by their relegation-fighting London rivals.

Liverpool, though, failed to take advantage as they too went down, 1-2 at home to Manchester City courtesy of an injury-time Nicolas Anelka goal.

Liverpool were 1-0 up and cruising to a win that would have meant that it was them, not the hosts, needing just the draw on Sunday, but manager Gerard Houllier is trying to look on the positive side. “A few people have said to me that it is better for us to be going to Chelsea knowing we have to win,” said the Frenchman, who has likened the match to a cup final. “I recall a few seasons ago at Bradford on the last day, we needed only to draw to get into the Champions League but we lost the game. This time we know only a win will do.”

Liverpool’s chances will be boosted by the news that midfield force Steven Gerrard has recovered quickly from a hip problem collected against City and is fit to start. But Czech Vladimir Smicer is out and Dietmar Hamann is fighting to be fit.

History is on the side of Chelsea, who have a terrific home record against Sunday’s visitors. They have won the last seven meetings at Stamford Bridge — 4-0 last season — and have not been beaten there by the Merseysiders since 1989.

This season they have lost only twice at home, to West Ham in September and Blackburn Rovers in February, but in the last three weeks things have started to look decidedly shaky.

A poor 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, a 1-1 home draw with Fulham and last week’s loss at West Ham mean that the impressive 4-1 home win over Everton was their only success in four games. That victory ended Everton’s interest in the Champions League and on Sunday Chelsea can complete a Merseyside double by doing the same thing to Liverpool.(Reuters)

West Ham and Bolton teeter on the brink

Bill Barclay

London, May 9: The relegation trapdoor will open beneath either West Ham United or Bolton Wanderers on Sunday, with a £15-million ($24.03 million) headache accompanying them into division one next season. That is the estimated cost in lost revenue of demotion and it has forced clubs like Ipswich Town and Leicester City, both relegated last year, into administration this season.

The situation is simple. Bolton Wanderers (41 points, goal difference minus 11) host Middlesbrough needing at least to match the result of West Ham (41 points, goal difference minus 17) who visit Birmingham. West Ham, long time occupants of the relegation zone despite taking 18 points from their last nine games, are therefore favourites to join already relegated Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion in division one.

The East London side have the tougher fixture and their inferior goal difference could ultimately prove decisive. But while there is Trevor Brooking and Paolo Di Canio, however, Hammers fans believe there is still hope.

Former England and West Ham midfielder Brooking has inspired the team to two straight wins since stepping in after manager Glenn Roeder suffered a minor stroke.

Bolton also have their own version of Di Canio in Nigerian trickster Jay Jay Okocha who has still found time during the heat of the relegation battle to display all his crowd-pleasing ball skills. Middlesbrough have little to play for at the Reebok Stadium on Sunday, but Allardyce has seen his side squander leads too often to be able to relax in any sense on Sunday. (Reuters)