Premier League relegation battle LIVE: Results and reaction as Everton survive
Leeds and Leicester were both relegated on the final day of the season
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Everton secured Premier League survival over Leicester and Leeds on a nervous and tense final day. Needing to defeat Bournemouth to claim their place in the top-flight next season things looked bad for the Toffees as the visitors took the early initiative at Goodison Park.
At the King Power Stadium, Harvey Barnes gave Leicester the lead over West Ham with Leeds falling behind to Tottenham up at Elland Road. That was how things stood at half-time with the Foxes out of the relegation zone and Everton in trouble.
The second half began and Leeds fell further behind Spurs effectively putting them out of the battle. Leicester extended their lead over the Hammers to gain control of their and Everton continued to struggle.
Then, Abdoulaye Doucoure received the ball on the edge of the box and smoked home a wonderful strike to put Everton in front. Sean Dyche’s men lasted through 10 minutes of stoppage to collect their three points and clinch their place in the top-flight.
Relive the action from the Premier League final day below:
How to watch Leeds vs Tottenham
Leeds vs Tottenham is due to kick off at 4.30pm BST on Sunday 28 May at Elland Road in Leeds.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on BT Sport 1HD, with coverage on the channels from 3.30pm BST. Subscribers can stream the game via the BT Sport app.
Leeds vs Tottenham
Can Leeds United pull off a shock and defeat Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the Premier League season?
That’s the only way Sam Allardyce’s men can make sure they avoid relegation to the Championship this year.
Fate is out of their hands in the battle for survival after a 1-1 draw with Leicester City last time out kept them inside the bottom three, two points behind 17th placed Everton.
To have any chance of remaining in the top-flight Leeds must win today and hope other results go in their favour.
Spurs will be difficult to beat though as they are still challenging for a place in Europe next season. They could nick a Europa Conference League spot away from Aston Villa if they earn all three points at Elland Road and no doubt Harry Kane will want to impress after rumours he could be leaving the club in the summer.
Dean Smith knows just how big an achievement keeping Leicester up will be
Leicester boss Dean Smith knows he will have fulfilled a “big ask” if he can guide his side to Premier League survival on Sunday.
The Foxes must beat West Ham at the King Power Stadium and hope Everton do not win against Bournemouth if they are to avoid relegation to the Championship.
Smith was parachuted into an eight-game SOS mission following Brendan Rodgers’ sacking at the beginning of April but has recorded just one victory from his first seven games and accepts that his side have not done as well as he thought they would.
Dean Smith knows just how big an achievement keeping Leicester up will be
The Foxes must beat West Ham at the King Power Stadium and hope Everton do not win against Bournemouth if they are to avoid relegation.
Leicester vs West Ham team news and predicted line-ups
Kelechi Iheanacho, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Ricardo Pereira and Jonny Evans have all had limited playing time over recent weeks for Leicester but are expected to be available according to manager Dean Smith. Wilfred Ndidi is a doubt, while Caglar Soyuncu is out.
Nayef Aguerd is available for West Ham after returning to training on Friday. Emerson had a knock to his knee so will be assessed and Gianluca Scamacca still hasn’t recovered from a knee operation so won’t play a part in the game.
Predicted line-ups
Leicester XI: Iverson; Castagne, Souttar, Faes, Thomas; Ndidi, Tielemans, Soumare; Maddison, Vardy, Barnes
West Ham XI: Fabianski; Coufal, Zouma, Ogbonna, Emerson; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Paqueta, Fornals; Ings
Leicester vs West Ham
Leicester vs West Ham is due to kick off at 4.30pm BST on Sunday 28 May at the King Power Stadium in Leicester.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage on the channels from 3pm BST. Subscribers can stream the game via Sky Go.
Leicester vs West Ham
How can Leicester earn Premier League survival?
Leicester could pull off a great escape on the final day of the Premier League season, but they will need to beat West Ham this afternoon.
Dean Smith’s side are currently 18th in the table and trail fellow relegation battlers Everton by two points. The best chance they have of staying in the top-flight is to pick up all three points and hope that Everton and Leeds fail to win.
David Moyes’s Irons have reached the Europa Conference League final and with their spot in the Premier League already secure, the manager may choose not to risk some of his key players this afternoon.
Can the Foxes sweep West Ham aside and avoid relegation?
Everton stare into the relegation abyss – a mess of their own making
If the first 11 have presented a problem, the greater warning came on page 11. Page 11, that is, of Everton’s annual financial report.
“Conditions indicate the existence of a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt about the group’s ability to continue as a going concern,” it read. Those conditions, in the curious way Everton phrased it, were “if the assumptions in the relegation scenario were not achieved”.
Their assumptions were that a storied club, founder members of the Football League and the club who have played more top-division games than any other in England, would stay up.
With one game to go, they are one place above the relegation zone, their fate in their hands but dicing with disaster. A win against Bournemouth will keep Everton up. Anything else would doom them if Leicester win; lose and Leeds would leapfrog Everton with a victory of their own.
Everton stare into the relegation abyss – a mess of their own making
A club with a proud history faces an uncertain future, but Everton still have one final chance to secure their Premier League safety
Everton vs Bournemouth early team news and predicted line-ups
Sean Dyche confirmed that neither Nathan Patterson nor Dominic Calvert-Lewin would be fit to feature in the game in what is a big blow to Everton’s chances of staying up. Vitaly Mykolenko will be assessed before the game. Midfielder Amadou Onana is fit and in contention to play.
Philip Billing is fit to start for Bournemouth confirmed boss Gary O’Neil. Hamed Traore is a doubt but looks okay to play a part int he game and Joe Rothwell will be assessed.
Predicted line-ups
Everton XI: Pickford; McNeil, Mina, Tarkowski, Holgate; Gueye; Garner, Onana, Doucoure, Iwobi; Gray
Bournemouth XI: Neto; Smith, Senesi, Kelly, Vina; Cook, Lerma; Brooks, Billing, Christie; Solanke
How to watch Everton vs Bournemouth
Everton vs Bournemouth is due to kick off at 4.30pm BST on Sunday 28 May at Goodison Park in Merseryside.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage on the channels from 4pm BST. Subscribers can stream the game via Sky Go.
Everton vs Bournemouth
What do Everton need to do to avoid the drop?
Sean Dyche’s face a nervous final day of the Premier League season but know that a victory over Bournemouth will be enough to keep them in the English top-flight for another season.
The Toffees come into the match sitting 17th in the table two points above Leicester City and Leeds United who could both leap above Sean Dyche’s men if they lose to the Cherries.
Everton will take heart from Bournemouth’s three most recent defeats, but they’ll need to perform in front of goal to keep fate in their hands.
Of the three teams fighting for survival Everton have the easiest match on paper with Leicester facing West Ham and Leeds taking on Tottenham. Can the Toffees get past Bournemouth and avoid relegation?
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