Lee Carsley insists Everton can inflict more misery on Liverpool by snatching fourth place in the Premier League.

Rafael Benitez's side are currently going through a crisis both on and off the pitch as ownership issues and mixed results continue to blight their campaign.

Instead of challenging Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea for the title, Liverpool find themselves in a scrap for fourth place, and with it the final Champions League place for next season. Liverpool are in the mix with Everton, Manchester City and Aston Villa, while Portsmouth and Blackburn should not be discounted.

Carsley, the Everton midfielder, believes it is Everton who can win the mini-league and claim the coveted fourth place, just as they did in 2005 when they pipped Liverpool by three points. "Everyone would expect Liverpool to finish fourth," Carsley said. "They've spent the kind of money where they shouldn't be happy with that. They should be pushing for the title. But they're not, so it's going to be a hell of a scrap for that fourth place.

"Obviously, we're aware of the quality of the teams around us, and we know what we have to do. The last time we sneaked up on the outside, so we're happy to stay in the background. If we're still around their with five or six games to go then we'll really go for it."

Carsley feels that Everton's squad strength will help them maintain their push for fourth for the rest of the season. "There is strength in depth, and we're going to need that because we're going to have to grind out results on occasion," he said. "We did it a couple of seasons ago when we did finish fourth. But then a lot of things went our way. We stayed clear of injuries and suspensions, which really helped and that's the key."