EVERTON SECURED THEIR Premier League status on the final day of the season, Abdoulaye Doucouré’s stunning second-half goal enough to beat Bournemouth 1-0 and relegate Leicester and Leeds. 

Leicester beat West Ham 2-1 but go down just seven years after winning the Premier League, while Sam Allardyce’s salvage job at Leeds went awry with a whimper, beaten 4-1 at home to Spurs. 

Leeds ended second-from-bottom and five points from safety, while Leicester went down on 34 points, two points behind Everton. 

Shorn of the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Everton struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first-half, with team and crowd largely reduced to a series of half-hearted penalty claims.

When Leicester took the lead against West Ham through Harvey Barnes after 34 minutes, Goodison Park was put further on edge as it pushed Everton into the drop zone as they remained deadlocked at 0-0. 

Into the second half, Irish goalkeeper Mark Travers – given a rare opportunity with Neto absent – repelled Demarai Gray’s tame header from close range. 

The decisive moment was anything but tame, however, when Abdoulaye Doucouré watched the ball drop kindly outside the box and smashed a stunning goal beyond Travers, who remained rooted to the spot. 

By the time Wout Faes doubled Leicester’s lead just after the hour mark, however, the Foxes’ fate as out of their hands, as news of Doucoure’s goal had filtered through a few minutes earlier. 

Pablo Fornals’ 79th minute goal halved the deficit and meant Leicester fans could not wholly dedicate their focus on proceedings at Goodison Park. 

Everton grew anxious with so much to lose, dropping deep and losing the aggression of their earlier play, and Goodison sighed a breath of relief when substitute Kieffer Moore failed to connect in the six-yard box with a dangerous, whipped cross.

Everton’s support grew nervier still when the fourth official signalled for 10 added minutes, part of it owing to a lengthy injury stoppage after which Jordan Pickford was fine to continue. 

Leicester held on to win but so did Everton, largely untroubled across the mammoth period of added time. 

Leeds went down without a final-day fight, falling behind after only two minutes at home to Spurs. They then conceded two minutes into the second half to Pedro Porro, but gave themselves some hope when Jack Harrison scored on 67 minutes. But, consistent with the theme of the day, Leeds conceded two minutes later, Harry Kane converting his 30th goal of the season. Lucas Moura, playing his final game for Spurs, signed off in fine style with a fourth goal. 

Leeds drop down after three seasons back in the top flight, while Leicester’s fairytale top-flight story has been given a shocking, sour ending. 

Written by Gavin Cooney and posted on the42.ie