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Brendan Rodgers insists the top-four race is not over

Brendan Rodgers insists the top-four race is not over
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Leicester are outside the Champions League places on goal difference going into the final game of the season.

Boss Brendan Rodgers declared the race for the Champions League is not over as Leicester battle for the top four.

The Foxes have slipped to fifth in the Premier League this week after Liverpool overhauled them on Wednesday.

They are level on points with last season's champions and one behind third-placed Chelsea ahead of Sunday's Premier League finale at home to Tottenham.

Chelsea go to Aston Villa while Liverpool host Crystal Palace and Rodgers insisted the Foxes will fight to the end.

He said: "I don't think it's over yet, I have that optimism and belief that if we do our job we can do no more than that. It'll be interesting to see how it finishes.

"What we don't want is for the door to open for us and for us not to walk through it.

"If we arrive on 69 points and somehow don't make it to the Champions League it has been really unfortunate."

Leicester lost out on the top four on the final day of last season, losing 2-0 to Manchester United.

Missing out again would echo last year but after winning the FA Cup for the first time following a 1-0 win over Chelsea last week and consistently challenging in the top four this term, Rodgers insisted the progress is there.

He said: "This week has been about perspective. When I ask myself the question, 'have we improved?' we most certainly have.

"Our focus is to finish the season strongly, the players have had an outstanding season, everyone has had to work so hard in this pandemic.

"The schedule is very tough for us but we have managed to be competitive and in the last game of the season we are fighting with two of Europe's biggest clubs to be in the Champions League."

James Justin and Harvey Barnes (knee) are out along with Jonny Evans (heel).

Rodgers also admitted the Foxes will keep track of the other scores so they know what they need to do at the King Power Stadium.

He said: "We'll get the message through one way or the other. There might be a moment where we need a goal, it's important we are aware of the temperature of where the situation is at."

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2Arsenal21127241192243
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest21125430201041
4Newcastle UnitedNewcastle21115537221538
5Chelsea21107441261537
6Manchester CityMan City2110563829935
7Aston Villa2110563132-135
8Bournemouth219753225734
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2171043229331
10Fulham217953230230
11Brentford218494037328
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd217592629-326
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham217592741-1426
14Tottenham HotspurSpurs21731143321124
15Crystal Palace215972328-524
16Everton203891526-1117
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2144133148-1716
18Ipswich TownIpswich2137112037-1716
19Leicester CityLeicester2135132346-2314
20Southampton2113171347-346


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