Force is with Villa as battle hots up for a UEFA Cup passport

If early season trips to Iceland, Moldova or Norway hardly rake in the cash, the prospect of a European tour has a galvanising effect on the Premier League every springtime.

• UEFA Cup qualifying - how it works

Three weeks ago, Aston Villa's season was effectively over. Three wins, 15 goals and the shaky form of sides above them later, and manager Martin O'Neill is now leading a juggernaut towards the UEFA Cup.

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Should they beat Everton at Goodison Park this weekend, Villa will leapfrog the Merseysiders into the sole automatic place open via league positions.

Qualification would increase the club's appeal when it comes to persuading summer transfer targets to sign, which in turn would make it more likely that club captain Gareth Barry will commit himself to the club by agreeing to a new long-term deal.

So much for the disparaging noises that Reading manager Steve Coppell made towards the competition when his side had an opportunity to qualify for it last season - even if his comments were primarily meant to deflect attention away from his players.

And for Bolton's dismissive attitude when, after qualifying the knockout phase of this year's UEFA Cup, Gary Megson chose to field a reserve side for the return leg at Sporting Lisbon in order to keep his first team fresh for a league game at Wigan the following weekend - and saw them lose both matches.

With the FA Cup winners guaranteed a place, Portsmouth have two tickets in the end-of-season lottery, although the Cup appears to be their more likely route into Europe following Sunday's defeat at Manchester City, whose own hopes depend on the teams above them dropping points.

Everton's run to the last 16 of this season's UEFA Cup and their pursuit of Liverpool for the fourth Champions League place appears to have fatigued them just at the moment when freshness is needed.

All of which gives Villa the momentum which striker John Carew hopes will sweep them to victory at Goodison and into a competition which could entice the likes of unsettled Barcelona striker Thierry Henry to Villa Park as well as keeping Barry at the club.

Carew said: "We are going to Everton with no reason not to have confidence. It's the right moment for us to go there. I think it's a good time to play them because of what we are doing, not Everton. We are playing great football and could almost meet any team now, give them big problems and probably win.

"I understand Henry wants to come back to England. Would I mind playing with him at Villa? Get him here. I would welcome any good player here. The more we have, the better for the team and the stronger you are during a whole season. "I just hope Gareth Barry stays. It's very important to keep all of our best players. What will happen is difficult to say. But he is our captain, he is the symbol of the club."