The great relegation battle: Can Fulham and Bolton stay up?

This time last week Fulham and Bolton fans were preparing for the Championship. The Cottagers had lost at home to relegation rivals Sunderland and Bolton were thrashed 4-0 by Aston Villa.

What a difference a win makes.

Bolton worked their socks off to defeat West Ham on Saturday, in the process claiming their first league victory since early February - which is an indication of just how poor the Trotters have been. Meanwhile, Fulham dragged Reading into the mix by securing a hugely impressive 2-0 win at the Madejski Stadium.

These two wins now beg the question - can Fulham and Bolton preserve their Premier League status?

BOLTON: After their win over the Hammers, Gary Megson’s side are just two points of safety,  although they have a considerably worse goal difference than Birmingham in 17th place.

On Saturday, they showed all the qualities that for so long have defined the Reebok side – they battled, scrapped, scampered and as always showed their quality from set-pieces. These qualities have ensured that in recent seasons they have been chasing Europe rather than battling against the drop come the end of the season.

Manager Megson may have bought his saviour in January. Matt Taylor was crucial for Portsmouth when they sensationally escaped the drop a couple of seasons ago and already he has shown he could be the difference. His two goals against Arsenal a few weeks ago should have brought three much-needed points and it was his corner against West Ham that provided the only goal against the Hammers.

Kevin Davies threatened throughout the win and could have scored more than one but the nagging suspicion remains that Bolton are short up front and should not have sold Nicolas Anelka in January if they wanted to stay up.

Bolton will have to play well to get maximum points from their remaining fixtures. Three out of the last four are away at Middlesbrough, Spurs and - on the last day - Chelsea FC, who could be playing for the Premier League title. Their only home game is a crucial relegation battle with Sunderland.

FULHAM: The win over Reading was crucial in the context of the Cottagers' season. Had they lost, Reading would have been almost safe and Fulham would be running out of games. In addition, the Royals had picked up seven points in their last three games at home and despite their poor league position are no pushovers even for the biggest teams in the league.

Crucially, Fulham yet again proved that they have match winners who could drag them out the mire. Brian McBride scored the opener and was an important presence at both ends of the pitch – his aerial prowess is amongst the finest in England.

McBride’s partnership with David Healy also seems to be improving. After his stunning goal against Sunderland, the Northern Ireland legend and the American linked up to great effect at Reading. Jimmy Bullard also never stopped prompting from midfield and was desperately unlucky not to get on the scoresheet with another fine free-kick which hit the bar.

Fulham’s first away win of the season was due to some fine passing, commitment and organisation, Roy Hodgson appears to have found the winning formula - the only worry is that it has come too late in the season.

The Cottagers have four games left and they are all winnable. Next week they entertain Liverpool FC, who will have one eye on the Champions League semi-finals. Then they face Manchester City who have nothing to play for, followed by a relegation “six-pointer” against Birmingham. Their final game is against Portsmouth, who will no doubt rest many players for the FA Cup Final a week later.

THE VERDICT: Despite being two points below Bolton, Fulham seem to be better equipped to beat the dreaded drop. They could quite easily gain 12 points from their remaining games, have a number of match winners and their performance at Reading was superb.

In comparison, Bolton still struggle for goals and the game at Stamford Bridge on the last day could be a real spanner in the works - ironically, Anelka could be the player to send them down.