Leicester City and Leeds United were relegated to the Sky Bet Championship after Everton beat Bournemouth to preserve their top-flight status on a dramatic final day of the Premier League season.
Abdoulaye Doucoure’s winner fired Everton to a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth at Goodison Park, meaning there was nothing their relegation rivals could do to avoid the drop.
Leicester City, who beat West Ham 2-1, were on course to stay up at the halfway stage of the final-day fixtures after Harvey Barnes’ goal lifted the Foxes out of the bottom three, but Doucoure’s thunderbolt changed the complexion of the relegation picture in Everton’s favour.
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Leeds United’s unlikely survival bid failed to get off the ground at Elland Road, with Harry Kane inspiring a 3-1 victory with the opener inside two minutes.
Leicester City, 2015/16 Premier League champions, and Leeds join Southampton – who drew 4-4 with Liverpool on the final day – in next season’s Championship after the Saints’ 11-year spell in the top-flight ended following defeat to Fulham on May 13.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa will play in Europe for the first time in 13 years after Sunday’s 2-1 win over Brighton sealed their place in next season’s Europa Conference League.
Unai Emery’s side secured a seventh-place finish in the Premier League thanks to first-half goals from Douglas Luiz and Ollie Watkins on the final day of the season at Villa Park.
Sixth-placed Brighton are also heading to Europe, for the first time in their history, after securing a Europa League berth prior to their visit to Villa Park.
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