LONDON: Tottenham retained their place in the Premier League’s top four with

a 2-0 win over Fulham on Tuesday as Liverpool’s hopes of securing a return to the Champions League next season suffered another setback.

Despite the return of club captain Steven Gerrard from injury, Rafael Benitez’s men were listless in a goalless stalemate at struggling Wolves. But the Liverpool manager was defiantly upbeat after a result that means his side are unbeaten in five matches in the league. The draw leaves

Liverpool three points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham, who were always in control of their London derby clash with Fulham at White Hart Lane.

Spurs went ahead mid-way through the first half through Peter Crouch, who fired home after being teed up by Luka Modric following a wonderful piece of

improvisation from the Croatia playmaker. David Bentley made sure of the win with a second-half free-kick that found the net with the help of a deflection off Bjorn Helge Riise which wrong-footed Fulham’s Australian goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer.

At the other end of the table, it was a memorable night for Bolton claiming their first league win

under new manager Owen Coyle. Lee Chung-Yong’s 35th-minute strike proved enough to earn Bolton

a 1-0 win that lifted

them out of the relegation zone. As a result of

West Ham and Wolves both picking up a point apiece, Burnley dropped into the drop zone for the first time this season.

Predictably, Coyle was given a hostile reception from the visiting fans, who hurled “Judas” insults at the man they used to refer to as “God.” A more appropriate biblical reference, Coyle wryly reminded his critics, would be Moses, given his achievement in leading Burnley to the promised land of the Premier League.

West Ham had to settle for a 1-1 draw at bottom club Portsmouth after taking the lead at Fratton Park. The Hammers had gone ahead seven minutes into the second-half. Alessandro Diamanti curled a corner from the right towards the back post and, after it had been deflected goalwards by Pompey defender Younes Kaboul, the ball ended up in the net off the thigh of Matthew Upson.

The Hammers looked strong favourites to go on and take all three points at that stage, but Portsmouth snatched an equaliser with just under quarter of an hour left. Substitue Danny Webber slotted his finish through the legs of Hammers’ goalkeeper Robert Green for his first Premier League goal.