Leicester City 2-1 West Ham: Foxes relegated from Premier League despite win on final day

Leicester Metropolis’s nine-year keep within the Premier League got here to an finish as they have been relegated in agonising style regardless of beating West Ham on the ultimate day of the season.

Whereas Toffees followers have been in ecstasy at Goodison Park, Leicester supporters on the King Energy have been left to rue a depressing marketing campaign through which they received solely 9 league matches.

Interim boss Dean Smith mentioned it was a “huge disappointment”.

“I can solely have a look at my seven weeks and eight video games,” he mentioned. “I at all times felt coming in it was going to be robust. The boldness and perception was low.

“I felt we would want 11 factors to remain up, it turned out to be 11 however we solely acquired 9. In that regard, I’ve failed.”

Figuring out they wanted a win to have any probability of staying up, Leicester went shut early on when Kelechi Iheanacho exchanged passes with James Maddison earlier than clipping the crossbar with a vicious, curling effort.

The hosts did break the impasse via Harvey Barnes’ cool end from Iheanacho’s go to guide at half-time, and at that stage they have been staying up on objective distinction.

Jonny Evans virtually headed into his personal internet in a nerve-jangling second half, however the stadium was silenced when phrase filtered via about Everton scoring.

Mentioned Benrahma struck a pleasant curling effort in opposition to the publish for the guests, earlier than Wout Faes headed in Leicester’s second objective.

Pablo Fornals pulled a objective again by stabbing in through the publish because the Hammers completed 14th, six factors away from the relegation zone.

Champions League to Championship

Leicester’s recreation completed earlier than Everton’s, which meant the Foxes gamers needed to wait on the pitch for affirmation to come back via that they have been relegated.

Some huddled round defender Victor Kristiansen’s cellphone, however any glimmer of hope was extinguished when the full-time whistle blew at Goodison.

Lots of the crowd jeered, however some did afford their gamers a beneficiant ovation once they applauded the followers earlier than heading down the tunnel and out of the highest flight.

Leicester have been the architects of their very own downfall, ending a wretched season with simply three wins from their remaining 17 video games and maintaining only one clear sheet since November.

Smith’s mandate when he was appointed in April was to protect the standing of a aspect that have been shock champions solely seven years in the past, however 9 factors from his eight video games in cost was merely not sufficient.

And meaning relegation to the Championship simply six years after they reached the Champions League quarter-finals.

Smith mentioned he would converse to chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha within the subsequent couple of days.

“The effort and time he places in to the soccer is there to see,” he mentioned. “I’m not fascinated about my future for the time being. It’s uncooked getting relegated and I’ll go and mirror on it.

“The uncooked supplies are of an elite membership. It feels uncooked, it hurts, however with the infrastructure it can bounce again. It’s important to enhance on the issues that allow you to down and I’ve no doubts the gamers will.”

Barnes’ pleasant end and a 1-0 half-time lead gave the Foxes optimism they could simply keep alive.

However after Everton took the lead via Abdoulaye Doucoure’s good strike, Faes’ objective mattered little as Bournemouth couldn’t discover a means via.

Leicester supporters did escape into cheers on quite a few events as information unfold of a Cherries ‘equaliser’ – however every time it was a false daybreak.

A summer season of upheaval follows for the Foxes, with Maddison and Barnes probably the most sellable belongings, and 7 gamers and supervisor Smith out of contract.

Hammers seeking to European remaining

West Ham supporters have been in effective voice all through the sport, understanding Premier League soccer was safe for one more 12 months, they usually have a European remaining to sit up for.

As information of the scoreline from Goodison got here via, they taunted the house crowd with chants of ‘You are taking place’.

Their staff have been second finest for a lot of the competition, with Fornals netting a comfort and skipper Declan Rice presumably that includes in his final league recreation for the membership.

This was their twentieth league defeat of the season, however their focus was already on Prague, the place they face Italian aspect Fiorentina within the Europa Convention League remaining on 7 June.

Victory would give them their first main trophy since they lifted the 1980 FA Cup.

Supervisor David Moyes mentioned: “Attending to European finals do not come round too typically for many prime, British golf equipment.

“Manchester Metropolis are within the greatest one however the competitors we earned being in, we acquired ourselves into the ultimate of.”

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