Despite beating West Ham 2-1 in the final round, the "Foxes" still had to say goodbye to the tournament they won in 2016.
As the whistle blew to signal the end of 10 minutes of injury time in the second half of the Everton-Bournemouth match, tears began to fall from the faces of some Leicester fans. Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha sat pensively in a corner of the stands. Seven years ago, his father took the King Power Stadium club from a mid-table club to Premier League champions. Many considered it a "miracle".
Leicester players applaud the audience after the final match of the season. Photo: Reuters
There was no miracle this time around for Leicester, who met their need to take all three points against West Ham. Harvey Barnes and Wout Faes scored in each half to give the Foxes a 2-0 lead before Pablo Fornals pulled one back for West Ham late on.
However, in the same match, Abdoulaye Doucoure scored the only goal, helping Everton beat Bournemouth 1-0. This result helped Sean Dyche's team finish the season with 36 points, two points above the relegation zone. After the match, Everton fans flooded Goodison Park to celebrate, many setting off flares.
As for Leicester, their sudden decline this season has left them unable to recover. The second-highest number of defeats in the league (22, only behind Southampton with 25) shows that Leicester's defensive problems have not been completely resolved. Absent from the Premier League, the "Foxes" will face the risk of losing key players in the next summer transfer window.
At Elland Road, Leeds fans were doubly sad. Not only were they relegated, they suffered a heavy 1-4 defeat at home to Tottenham. In early May, Leeds appointed "relegation expert" Sam Allardyce, but the veteran coach could not make a difference.
Thus, the three relegation spots from the Premier League this season belong to Leicester, Leeds and Southampton, while the three promotion tickets belong to Luton Twon, Burnley and Sheffield United.
Vinh San
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