English Premier League rankings
THE TOP THREE
1. Manchester United – A 3-0 win over Liverpool shows the gulf in class between first and fourth place in the Prem.
2. Chelsea – A rollercoaster season could just end in unlikely assault on the Premiership title.
3. Liverpool – The Reds cling onto a top-three place despite their first defeat in eight league games.
THE BOTTOM THREE
18. Birmingham City – Defeat at Reading makes it one win in 12 for the Midlands strugglers.
19. Bolton Wanderers – Given their run-in, victory over Man City was a must and explains why they drop one place in the rankings.
20. Derby County – Twenty-one points left to play for, 17 points from safety. YOU do the math.
TEAM RISING
Reading – Three wins from last four makes Steve Coppell's mob a good bet for survival.
TEAM FALLING
Aston Villa – Four games without a win and home defeat to Sunderland is embarrassing.
