Chelsea were left two points adrift of one of the four Champions League places on offer to English teams as Newcastle stole a march on their rivals for top-class European club football on Monday. Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham, having kicked off knowing they needed to win by two clear goals to go above Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur into fourth on goal difference after the Magpies beat Bolton 2-0 and Spurs lost 2-1 to Norwich earlier Monday.
The Blues were left two points shy of both Tottenham - their opponents in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Sunday - and Newcastle with five league games of the season left. Frank Lampard put Chelsea in front at a rainswept Craven Cottage by scoring his 150th Premier League goal - the first midfielder to reach that landmark - from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time.
But eight minutes from time, United States international Clint Dempsey equalised for Fulham when his header from a corner deflected in off Chelsea defender Gary Cahill. The Premier League's top three clubs go into the first round of the Champions League proper, with the fourth-placed side set for a qualifying round.
However, Chelsea could scupper the qualification hopes of any other side that finish fourth by winning this season's Champions League. Everton warmed up for their FA Cup semi-final against Merseyside rivals Liverpool at Wembley on Saturday with a 4-0 home rout of Sunderland. Elsewhere, Aston Villa opened up a seven-point gap between themselves and the bottom three after a 1-1 draw at home to Stoke.
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