Martinez: Fourth spot is Liverpool's to lose

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez believes fourth place in the Premier League is Liverpool’s to throw away.

The Reds travel to the DW Stadium tonight looking for a victory that will take them back above Tottenham and Manchester City into the much-coveted final Champions League spot.

With Aston Villa also still very much in the running, the battle for fourth looks set to go right down to the wire, but Martinez feels that, having qualified for Europe's premier club competition so many times before, Liverpool's know-how should ultimately give them the edge over their rivals.

"They have got great experience in trying to achieve the aim they are looking for and, whoever is going to have that composure and calmness in the next 10 or 11 games, which they have got, it's going to make a big difference," Martinez said.

"Looking at the Liverpool squad and the other squads around them, that position is theirs to lose.

"Looking at the quality of their individuals, you are talking about world-class players, and the experience and know-how of those players, playing together for a long time, and the knowledge of their manager - I think it is for Liverpool to lose, the fourth spot."

A host of disappointing results has made it a testing season for Reds boss Rafael Benitez and he seemed to increase the pressure on himself midway through the campaign when he gave a "guarantee" his team would finish in the top four.

Martinez, meanwhile, is having to deal with the stresses of a relegation dogfight at the other end of the Premier League table, and the Latics boss can see similarities between his own position and that of his fellow Spaniard.

"Every football club has different expectations and, in that respect, you have the same pressure to achieve that aim," Martinez said.

"We all know Liverpool is a glamorous football club, it's got a great history and that brings added expectation. In that way, it is always going to be very demanding.

"But, in our situation, we have been through a huge transitional period in terms of the way to play and the way to try to win football games.

"Wigan are in a position now where we have to be successful in our aim of staying in the Premier League to allow us to go onto another level.

"I'm sure, at Liverpool, in a way, they are fighting for the same aim - to try to get into that Champions League spot but then making sure that they can progress onto a different level next campaign.

"It's going to be a game where, for different reasons, the importance of the points is huge. It is vital for both sides that they are on top of their game."

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the views or position of Liverpool Football Club.