Houllier: We can defy Bridge record

Liverpool will have to overturn their woeful Stamford Bridge record to oust opponents Chelsea from the potentially money-spinning fourth place in the Premiership.

Gerard Houllier’s Worthington Cup winners can claim the last Champions League place and leave the Londoners – currently level on points but ahead on goal difference – to compete in the UEFA Cup with a rare success in that part of the capital.

It is a match worth up to £10m (€13m) to either club – the amount a club is guaranteed for progressing through the qualifying round and into the first-round proper – and a fixture Liverpool do not prosper in traditionally.

The Reds have won only twice at the Bridge in 24 years and left with six successive defeats on their most recent visits.

But boss Gerard Houllier, whose team have won nine Premiership away matches this season, declared: “We do well away from home and we know if we win at Stamford Bridge we qualify. My players like cup finals, we win them, so we can win this last game.

“We have come back from a period of despair, 10 games ago nobody would have thought we would be in this position, still going for it.

"We know that if we win at Chelsea that’s enough to qualify.

“Few people would have predicted this a couple of months ago. We’d lost at Birmingham and knew we needed to win virtually everything to get into the Champions League.

“Well, we are on seven wins in nine so we are pretty close. I trust my team, they have the knowledge of how to play in run-ins like this.

“We have done it like this in our previous two seasons with fine runs at the end of the campaign, and we have the strength of character to cope, the team enjoys playing for something like this. We can do it.”

Perhaps crucially Steven Gerrard (hip) will be fit for the visitors.

Another young Englishman, John Terry, is dreaming of playing on Europe’s biggest stage, having missed out the last time Chelsea did so.

Defender Terry was out on loan at Nottingham Forest when Chelsea were last in the continent’s premier club competition, reaching the 2000 quarter-finals before going out to Barcelona.

A draw would be enough for the chance to mix it with the big clubs again and Terry said: “I’d be over the moon if we made it, to be honest.

“I’ve always wanted to play in the competition since I was a kid. It’s been a few years of waiting but hopefully we’ll do it on Sunday.”

A thigh injury has left Terry doubtful as Chelsea aim to improve a record of just four points out of the last 12 on offer.

The blue half of Liverpool will be facing just as stiff a task to guarantee their place in the UEFA Cup next season – beating Manchester United.

If David Moyes’ men beat the champions at Goodison, they will finish sixth and return to Europe; anything less, however, and Blackburn could pip them with three points at White Hart Lane.

But Everton have won only five of their last 29 meetings with United and none of their last 15.

Striker Kevin Campbell said: “It’s going to be some game, and very tough. It always looked like it would be decided on the last day for us and that’s the way it’s going to be.

“The good thing is that it’s still in our hands and this time we aren’t going into the last day of the season with the fear of having to stay up but with the positive pressure of trying to get into Europe.

“That is what we have been striving for all season, why we have been putting in all the hard work and what we want to achieve as professionals. Now it’s all or nothing in 90 minutes.”

Ryan Giggs will be entitled to a self-satisfied smile on Sunday when Manchester United wrap up their campaign, knowing an eighth title in 11 years is already in the bag.

The Welsh international has bounced back from an indifferent spell to become the most decorated player in the club’s history.

His return to form coincided with United overtaking reigning champions Arsenal and taking the crown with a game to spare.

Giggs said: “This medal ranks up there with the best. At Christmas Arsenal were playing great football and everyone was giving them the title.

“We knew, though, we had the players to go on a run like we have done.

“Everyone was aware we needed to do that and if we did we would have a great chance.”

Runners-up Arsenal close their season with a trip to bottom club Sunderland, where they will give FA Cup final fitness tests to Lauren and Freddie Ljungberg.

Both will need to play 90 minutes according to Arsene Wenger to feature in the manager’s thoughts for the Cardiff showpiece a week tomorrow.

Sunderland are already the Premiership’s worst ever team, having recorded just 19 points all season and are preparing for Division One.

“I’m excited about next season and I think that we need some new faces to excite the fans,” said manager Mick McCarthy, who is yet to see his team win in eight games.

“We need someone to capture the imagination or to spark off the rest of them.

“I want to manage in the Premier League and the players who will be here next season, and the lads who will be coming in, also want to play in the Premier League.

“The only way that can happen is by starting off well and making sure we come straight back up.”

Sunderland’s 14 consecutive defeats in the league have ensured that West Brom avoided the ignominious wooden spoon.

The midlanders host third-placed Newcastle and 70-year-old Sir Bobby Robson, the Magpies’ manager who spent six years at The Hawthorns as a player.