The China Mail - The Premier League's unlikely pretenders to Champions League riches

Liverpool are storming clear with a 12-point lead at the top, while at the bottom Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton are 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 class has taken advantage of a woeful season for Manchester United and Tottenham.

Chelsea and Manchester City occupy fourth and fifth on 49 and 48 points respectively with nine games to go but both also still have plenty to do after their struggles for consistent form.

AFP Sport looks at the prospects of four surprise Champions League challengers:

Nottingham Forest (third, 54 points)

Forest may have plenty of historical pedigree in continental competition but have not been in the European Cup since they were defending champions in 1980.

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

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

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

Brighton (seventh, 47 points)

The Seagulls have taken 13 points from a possible 15 to roar 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 line-up away to Forest last month backfired in a humiliating 7-0 defeat.

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

Fulham (eighth, 45 points)

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

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

However, they face a tough run if they are to qualify for Europe for the first time in 14 years.

Fulham face Arsenal and Liverpool in their next two and host City on the final day of the season.

Bournemouth (10th, 44 points)

The Cherries' chances of a first ever European adventure have suffered in a run of one point from their last four league games.

Andoni Iraola's men appeared to be tiring before the international break and showed signs of fatigue in an FA Cup quarter-final 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 their 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 want 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.

B.Carter--ThChM