Feel-good factor is back for Crouch as goal tally mounts.

Byline: By IAN DOYLE

PETER CROUCH believes the Premier League pressure has eased on Liverpool as they prepare for their Champions League semi-final first leg against Chelsea tomorrow.

Rafael Benitez's side moved to within two points of mathematically sealing a top-four place with a 2-0 win at struggling Fulham on Saturday.

With Liverpool having a far superior goal difference to nearest rivals Everton, one point from their final three games should be enough to clinch Champions League qualification.

Goals in either half from Jermaine Pennant and Crouch ensured a comfortable win for Liverpool, who sported eight changes.

And Crouch said: "We were always going to treat this game seriously because it was important to make sure we kept up a big gap between ourselves and Everton and it's now eight points.

"Although that doesn't guarantee us fourth place, with just three games to go it takes a bit of the pressure off, which helps us concentrate on the Champions League."

Crouch has started the last three games for which he has been available, after missing the win over Blackburn Rovers last week with a toe injury.

The striker has now netted in successive league appearances, and added: "I'm enjoying it a lot more lately because I've been involved quite a bit. When I spoke at Arsenal the manager hadn't been using me too much and I was a getting a little frustrated.

"But since then things have been good and I've managed to score a couple of goals. I'm feeling more positive and we'll have to see how things go up until the end of the season."

Despite his goal, Crouch is likely to find himself on the bench for the visit of Chelsea tomorrow night.

But he added: "After the league match at Arsenal I was pretty certain I wasn't going to start in the Champions League game.

But the manager picked me so I better say the same again this time!

"It's going to be different for us having to play at home first, but we showed against Arsenal we could really get at teams at Anfield.

"Obviously I don't expect the same sort of match against Chelsea, because the circumstances are different, but there's no reason why we can't go out and be positive."

Liverpool extended their run of form to one defeat in 14 amid more boardroom squabbling between co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

But Crouch said: "It's not something that we really care about. We talked about it a bit when it first started, but although we read things in the papers, it's not something that's been discussed.

"We're not told anything about what's going on and don't really expect to be.

You can tell by our results it's not something that's affected our form, so for me to poke my nose into it now wouldn't do any good."

CAPTION(S):

Striker Peter Crouch doubles the Reds advantage on Saturday; Owner Tom Hicks