Strugglers gasping for breath in drop zone

The relegation issue in the Premier League this season will only be decided on the last day with eight teams, at least, involved in the fight to preserve their status.

With bottom-placed West Bromwich all but doomed, the other league strugglers are now starting to feel the heat, knowing how much it will cost them to lose membership in the top flight.

Their remaining fixtures are:

Newcastle: Points 30, goal difference -16 (not won in last eight).

Home vs Portsmouth (Monday)
Away vs Liverpool (Sunday, May 3)
Home vs Middlesbrough (Monday, May 11)
Home vs Fulham (Monday, May 16)
Away vs Newcastle (Sunday, May 24)

Middlesbrough: Points 31, goal difference -22 (won once in seven).

Away vs Arsenal (tomorrow)
Home vs Manchester United (Saturday, May 2)
Away vs Newcastle (Monday, May 11)
Home vs Aston Villa (Saturday, May 16)
Away vs West Ham (Sunday, May 24)

Blackburn: Points 34, goal difference -20 (won once in five).

Home vs Wigan (tomorrow)
Away vs Manchester City (Saturday, May 2)
Home vs Portsmouth (Saturday, May 9)
Away vs Chelsea (Sunday, May 17)
Home vs West Brom (Sunday, May 24)

Hull: Points 34, goal difference -20 (not won in last four).

Home vs Liverpool (today)
Away vs Aston Villa (Monday, May 4)
Home vs Stoke (Saturday, May 9)
Away vs Bolton (Saturday, May 16)
Home vs Manchester United (Sunday, May 24)

Sunderland: Points 35, goal difference -12 (won once in seven).

Away vs West Brom (today)
Home vs Everton (Sunday, May 3)
Away vs Bolton (Saturday, May 9)
Away vs Portsmouth (Monday, May 18)
Home vs Chelsea (Sunday, May 24)

Portsmouth: Points 37, goal difference -15 (won twice in eight).

Away vs Newcastle (Monday)
Home vs Arsenal (Saturday, May 2)
Away vs Blackburn (Saturday, May 9)
Home vs Sunderland (Monday, May 18)
Away vs Wigan (Sunday, May 24).

Bolton: Points 37, goal difference -11 (won once in six).

Home vs Aston Villa (today)
Away vs Wigan (Saturday, May 2)
Home vs Sunderland (Saturday, May 9)
Home vs Hull (Saturday, May 16)
Away vs Manchester City (Sunday, May 24)

United clear

After the midweek matches, involving the main rivals in the quest for the championship crown, Manchester United are now three points ahead of Liverpool and with a game in hand.

United beat Portsmouth 2-0 at home on Wednesday as Liverpool and Arsenal shared eight goals in a dramatic match at Anfield 24 hours earlier. Chelsea were meanwhile held to a 0-0 draw by Everton at Stamford Bridge.

This afternoon, United host Tottenham, Liverpool are away at Hull and Chelsea take on West Ham in a London derby at Upton Park.

The two FA Cup semi-finals were played last weekend with Chelsea and Everton emerging winners for the final on Saturday, May 30.

This outcome must have satisfied most those clubs chasing a seventh placed in the standings and a place in the Europa League since both Chelsea and Everton have already earned their passport to the continent.

Alex Ferguson has brought the wrath of the media and the fans on himself after fielding a depleted side in the semi-final against Everton.

The Scot, who had labelled Liverpool's Rafa Benitez arrogant a few days before, perhaps fell into that category himself for the way he shunned the greatest 'domestic' cup competition in the world and disappointed the fans who had paid high prices to watch their favourite team, and not a second string side, play at Wembley.

This will be the fourth time that United will be meeting Spurs this season.

In December, they shared the points in a 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane and in January United won 2-1 in London in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Then, in March, they met at Wembley in the League Cup final with the Red Devils holding the upper hand in a penalty shoot-out after another 0-0 stalemate.

Liverpool, like some other top Premier League clubs, have felt the wrath of Hull and their early-season form when the Tigers visited Anfield and emerged with a draw in a first-round match.