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In the English Premier League today, nine matches are being played. The fiercest battle is taking place for the second and fourth places, allowing the teams to play in the Champions League next year.
"Arsenal" secured the championship title in the last round, so these matches do not affect them. The team's manager, A. Wenger, stated in the press that his team will not relax and aim to go through the season without losing a single match. Meanwhile, "Birmingham" still has a chance to fight for the fourth place. Although they are currently in ninth place in the league table, they are only 4 points away from the fourth place. To maintain even theoretical chances, they need a victory today.
The injury-plagued "Chelsea" team has a serious task ahead - to secure the fragile second place. "Man Utd" is just one point behind them in third place. Today, "Southampton", Chelsea's opponent, can be defeated even without Duff, Gallas, and Terry, who are injured. C. Ranieri's team is playing on two fronts - in the Champions League and the Premier League, so injuries are a common occurrence. "Southampton" in 11th place can still fight for a place in the top ten, although today, the Latvian Marian Pahars, who scored in the last round, will also be absent due to injury.
These matches are very important for the "Leicester" club. Only by winning can they keep slim chances of fighting for survival in the top league. The club, currently in 19th place, lags behind the safe 17th position by 6 points. "Charlton" also has slim hopes of playing in the Champions League, but the distance from the fourth place is only 4 points.
"Bolton" can feel safe - relegation to a lower division is not a threat. This cannot be said about "Leeds". They are in 18th place, guaranteeing relegation to a lower league. However, they are only 3 points behind the safe 17th position, and Bolton is not an unbeatable club. After all, it is said that hope dies last...
The "Man Utd" players, who have been showing a poor game lately, need to rehabilitate themselves in the eyes of the fans. Their first target is the mid-table "Blackburn". The Manchester team still has something to fight for - they are only one point behind the "Chelsea" club in second place, so motivation is not lacking.
The "Liverpool" club must win today. Although they currently hold the coveted fourth place, their closest pursuers, "Newcastle", have the same points and another match in hand. Meanwhile, these matches mean nothing for "Middlesbrough". They can still move up or down a few positions, but that would not change much.
One of the most important matches of the round. If "Man City" wins, they would practically secure a place in the Premier League next year. Meanwhile, "Newcastle" has big ambitions in the fight for a place in next year's Champions League. Even if they fail to reach the fourth place, they are still in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup.
"Fulham" still has a chance to play in the UEFA Cup or even in the Champions League next year. Meanwhile, "Portsmouth" can calmly wait for the next season. Relegation to a lower division is only theoretical for them, and climbing higher will also be difficult.
The complete underdogs of the tournament, "Wolves", probably have their last chance to keep their hopes alive to move into the safe zone, allowing them to play in the Premier League next season. Meanwhile, the situation for "Everton" is similar to that of "Portsmouth". They can also start preparing calmly for the upcoming season.
The players of "Aston Villa" have great opportunities to play in European football tournaments next year. The club currently in 6th place is only one point behind the 4th place, so they could even make it into the UEFA Champions League. Meanwhile, "Tottenham" has different goals. Occupying only 16th place, they could still be relegated to a lower division.
