Review: Leicester and Leeds down on dramatic last day in Premier League

Everton, always seen as the most likely among the three to avoid relegation, secured their Premier League status courtesy of Abdoulaye Doucoure’s spectacular 57th-minute goal. The strike ensured a 1-0 home win over Bournemouth and helped Everton avert their first relegation in nearly 70 years.

Leicester City, the miracle Premier League champions of 2016, are now Championship-bound, despite a 2-1 home win against West Ham United. Had Everton failed to secure a victory, Leicester City would have been safe.

Harvey Barnes and Wout Faes put Leicester 2-0 up against a rival seemingly preoccupied with their upcoming Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina. Although Pablo Fornals managed to score for West Ham in the 79th minute, Leicester clung on for a win that ultimately proved in vain.

Leeds United, the clear underdogs in the survival battle, needed a victory and slip-ups from their rivals. However, they must return to the Championship following a crushing 4-1 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

Leeds never truly challenged in the game Tottenham won 4-1, with two goals from Harry Kane and one each from Pedro Porro and Lucas Moura. Jack Harrison’s solitary goal for Leeds merely provided a fleeting glimmer of hope.

However, Tottenham’s win didn’t guarantee them European football next season. Aston Villa, showing marked improvement under Unai Emery, secured seventh place with a 2-1 home win over Brighton.

Douglas Luiz and Ollie Watkins gave Aston Villa a 2-0 lead within just 26 minutes. Deniz Undav clawed a goal back for Brighton before half-time, but the visitors were unable to find the net in the second half.

Ethan Pinnock’s 85th-minute goal handed Brentford a 1-0 win over a heavily rotated Manchester City squad, with the latter preparing for their FA Cup and Champions League finals.

Arsenal vented their frustration over finishing second by delivering a 5-0 drubbing to Wolves, with Granit Xhaka scoring twice in his farewell to the Emirates Stadium.

Southampton bade farewell to the Premier League with a high-scoring 4-4 draw at home to Liverpool, with Diogo Jota bagging a brace for the visitors.

Chelsea and Newcastle ended the season with a 1-1 draw. Anthony Gordon’s early goal for Newcastle was negated by an own goal from Kieran Trippier. The draw draws a curtain on a disastrous season for Chelsea, while Newcastle finishes in fourth place after Manchester United’s 2-1 home win over Fulham.

Fulham’s Kenny Tete opened the scoring before Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes turned the tables in favor of Manchester United.

In a match with little at stake, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest drew 1-1.

On Saturday evening, Luton Town beat Coventry City in a penalty shootout to secure promotion to the Premier League, joining Burnley and Sheffield United in the top-flight next season.

Luton’s triumph marks a remarkable comeback journey for the club. They were relegated from the First Division in 1992 before plummeting as far as the Conference Premier (fifth tier of the English game) in 2009. After spending four seasons in non-league football, they returned to the Football League in 2014, and ascended to the Championship (second division) in 2019.

PREVIEW: Relegation in the spotlight on dramatic final day in Premier League

Manchester City sealed the title last weekend, while Newcastle United’s draw at home to Leicester City last Monday, and Manchester United’s 4-1 thumping of Chelsea on Thursday night confirmed their places in next season’s Champions League, while Brighton also ensured they will finish sixth.

A home win for Aston Villa against Brighton on Sunday would see Unai Emery’s men cap a magnificent second half to the season by confirming their place in the UEFA Conference League, but apart from that, the drama is centered around the relegation zone.

The way things stand, if Everton win their home game against Bournemouth, then Leeds United and Leicester City will be relegated to the Championship.

However, it is not that easy, given that Everton have not won at home since March 11 and have already lost twice to Bournemouth this season. Coach Sean Dyche will be without striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and is unlikely to have any full-backs available against a team that won’t have forgotten that it was defeat to Everton that saw them relegated two years ago.

If Everton fail to win, then Leicester City will have a chance of survival if they beat West Ham United.

West Ham travel to Leicester with other things on their mind as they prepare for next week’s Conference League final, and the chance of European glory will probably mean David Moyes fields a much-changed side at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester drew 0-0 with a five-man defense at Newcastle on Monday, but the need for a win means Dean Smith is likely to recall Harvey Barnes and James Maddison to his starting 11.

Leeds United need to beat Tottenham – who still have a chance of finishing seventh – at home and hope that Leicester and Everton lose. Leeds could still stay up if Everton draw with Bournemouth, but their inferior goal difference means they would need to win by three goals, which seems unlikely without injured strikers Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo Moreno.

The only other game that could have relevance is Brentford’s home tie against Manchester City, as a win could see Brentford leapfrog Tottenham and Aston Villa into seventh and earn them an unlikely place in Europe.

Elsewhere, Manchester United prepare for the FA Cup final at home to Fulham, while Arsenal can expect a good send-off after their excellent season when they entertain Wolves.

Chelsea’s disastrous campaign ends at Stamford Bridge at home to Newcastle, and perhaps Chelsea owner Todd Boehly can take note from Newcastle, whose fans will be in party mode, on how to invest wisely in new signings.

Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest have nothing to play for, while Southampton say goodbye to the Premier League after 11 years with a home game against Liverpool.