Unlikely English candidates dueling for a Champions League ticket

The battle for a place in the Champions League is the focus of attention in the final two months of the Premier League season, with the title race and relegation battle seemingly a foregone conclusion.

Liverpool is storming clear with a 12-point lead at the top, while at the bottom, Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton look set for an immediate return to the Championship.

A strong season by English sides in European competitions means it is almost certain that a top-five finish will secure a place in next season's Champions League.

And the race to be in Europe's elite competition has never been more open, as the Premier League's middle order has taken advantage of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur's woeful season.

Chelsea and Manchester City occupy fourth and fifth on 49 and 48 points, respectively, with nine games to go. Both, however, still have plenty to do, as they struggle to find consistent form.

Here are the prospects of four surprise Champions League challengers:

Nottm Forest (3rd, 54pts)

Forest may have plenty of historical pedigree in continental competition, but it has not been in the European Cup since it was the defending champion in 1980.

After a 23-year absence from the Premier League, and just battling to avoid relegation in the past two seasons, Forest has stunned everyone to sit behind only Liverpool and Arsenal at the top of the table and make it to the FA Cup semifinals.

Nuno Espirito Santo's men have a seven-point cushion in the race for a top-five finish and a favorable fixture run-in.

Forest faces only two sides in the top half, Chelsea and Aston Villa, in its final nine games.

Brighton (7th, 47pts)

The Seagulls have taken 13 points from a possible 15 to soar back into Champions League contention in Fabian Hurzeler's first season in charge.

The wheels could have come off for the 32-year-old, when his ultra attacking lineup away to Forest last month backfired, resulting in a humiliating 7-0 defeat.

At that point, Brighton had won just twice in the Premier League in 12 games, but it has bounced back impressively to keep dreams of a first ever foray into the Champions League alive.

Fulham (8th, 45pts)

Fulham is another club never to have reached Europe's elite level, but is back in the running after its own mid-season stumble.

Marco Silva's men won just twice in 10 games between late November and mid-January, but has beaten Forest, Newcastle and Tottenham in its last six league maches.

However, ensuring a first continental appearance since its Europa League adventure 14 years ago won't be easy. Fulham faces Arsenal and Liverpool in its next two games, and hosts City on the season's final day.

Bournemouth (10th, 44pts)

The Cherries' chances of a first ever European adventure have suffered in a run of four league games that have yielded just a point.

Andoni Iraola's men appeared to be tiring before the international break, and showed signs of fatigue in an FA Cup quarterfinal defeat to Manchester City on Sunday after taking a first-half lead.

The visit of struggling Ipswich on Wednesday gives Bournemouth the perfect chance to kickstart its pursuit of the top five, in what is likely to be the final few months before this squad is broken up.

Iraola himself is reportedly the man Tottenham wants to succeed Ange Postecoglou if the Australian does not deliver the Europa League.

Milos Kerkez and Antoine Semenyo have been linked with Liverpool, while Dean Huijsen is attracting interest from Real Madrid.

AFP