Leicester City and Leeds United have been relegated from the Premier League after a dramatic final matchday in which Everton managed to stay up.
A second-half goal from Abdoulaye Doucoure saw Sean Dyche’s side beat Bournemouth 1-0 while Leeds lost 4-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur. Leicester beat West Ham United 2-1 but it wasn’t enough given Everton’s victory.
The Athletic analyzes a dramatic 90 minutes of thrilling bottom-of-the-table action…
Leeds field six defenders in the must-win game… and concede a goal in each half after two minutes
To stay on top you need a win, and even that may not be enough. They could also use a big goal difference change. So what do you choose? If you’re Sam Allardyce, name a starting lineup with six defenders and very few known attacking players apart from Jack Harrison and Rodrigo.
And then, as you settle into your dugout position, watch the heavily defensive side concede a goal after a full minute; No one is chasing Harry Kane who just doesn’t miss the position you give him. Thus begins the confusion of a performance, a confusion of a formation.
GO DEEPER
Radrizzani and the relegation: His rise to power at Leeds – and why he will shape the club’s destiny
Leeds are so painfully restricted and have been for most of the season. But perhaps that four-game streak dashed the notion that Allardyce could stick around any longer. In his time as boss, there was hardly anything, if anything at all, that made him seem like someone who always has his finger on the pulse.
And while it might be different if he were stuck with his own squad, it would be too much of a risk to assume or trust him. Leeds go into the routine of Weston McKennie’s long shots… it really was that bad.
Phil Hay
Dyche appointment pays off
The big dilemma for Sean Dyche ahead of Sunday’s game was how to close gaps in his defense and attack. With no fit full-backs and no Dominic Calvert-Lewin, much of the week was spent experimenting with different formations and trying to find a solution.
Dyche opted for a form change to the back three which, while seldom pretty, was ultimately successful.
Summer new signing James Garner boldly stepped in at right-back against the dangerous Dango Ouattara, a goal for Everton in January. The midfielder revealed after last weekend’s game against Wolves that he had not played in his new position before, but he nonetheless showed composure personified at Goodison.
Garner mastered the tackles, passed intelligently and forced Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers to make an excellent save in the first half. On the other hand, Dwight McNeil was an effective, willing runner.
Calvert-Lewin’s absence hit him even harder. Dangerous crosses entered the penalty area in the first half. All too often they lacked the players or presence to claim victory. But Doucoure’s wonderful goal, which brought back memories of Gareth Farrelly’s equalizer against Coventry in 1998 that kept Everton on the ball, made all the difference. By hook or by crook, Dyche had found a way.
His arrival in late January to replace Frank Lampard proved to be a turning point in Everton’s season.
Patrick Boyland
Doucour is vital for Everton
Football is never more theatrical than the last day and Doucoure, who scored the goal that kept Everton ahead, comes full circle after the midfielder was frozen under former head coach Frank Lampard.
“He’s certainly someone who could help the club,” his manager Dyche said in February.
“Different managers see different things; Different managers want different things,” he added. “He continues to work in both boxes and push his running, that’s for sure. The signs are good.”
Doucoure played a key role in big Everton victories: he rushed forward against Brentford in the first minute to assist Dwight McNeil’s match-winner and scored twice in the first 30 minutes to set up a mighty 5-1 away win over Brighton Goal and an assist in the late 2-2 draw with Chelsea.
Liam Tharme
Leicester were relegated…despite scoring 51 goals
Leicester are only the third side to be relegated from the Premier League (in a 38-game season) after scoring over 50 goals in one season.
Their 2-1 win over West Ham United at the King Power Stadium wasn’t enough to keep up after Everton’s 1-0 win over Bournemouth, but Harvey Barnes’ first-half goal pushed them to the 500-year mark this season. and Wout Faes’ second-half header meant they equaled Middlesbrough’s 51-record record in 1996/97. The other team to score over 50 points was Blackpool in 2010/11 (55).
But the consolation of Pablo Fornals meant they conceded 68 goals, the third-highest overall in the division.
For many it could be the last time they represent the club on their way to the championship. Youri Tielemans, Jonny Evans, Papy Mendy, Daniel Amartey, Ayoze Perez, Caglar Soyuncu and Ryan Bertrand are all now out of contract, while James Maddison and Harvey Barnes are expected to be sold.
Kelechi Iheanacho seemed to wave to the crowd as he was substituted and replaced by Jamie Vardy, who has one year left on his contract. It was a big decision by interim manager Dean Smith to omit Leicester’s all-time Premier League goalscorer for Iheanacho, although it didn’t affect the result.
The damage had already been done by that side’s poor defensive record, with just one goal conceded in their last 23 league games being the main reason for relegation.
Rob Tanner
Leeds’ lavish finish cost them
If you concede your first goal in 20 of your 38 Premier League games this season, you’re bound to be in the relegation zone. Leeds’ faint hopes of survival were dashed after just two minutes by a Harry Kane goal, but what followed was even more representative of their season.
Leeds had nine shots in the first half to win back the result. Only once this season have they performed better in the opening 45 minutes – against Crystal Palace in April. However, just one of those nine shots put Spurs goaltender Fraser Forster to the test.
In fact, just three of Leeds’ 19 shots on target over the 90 minutes.
Throughout the season, Rodrigo performed well in front of goal, scoring 4.6 goals without a penalty over his xG – but as a team, Leeds haven’t tested the goalkeeper as often as they should have throughout the season.
Their shot-on-target percentage at the end of the season was 31.4 per cent, the third-worst rate of any Premier League side.
Taking a chance is one thing, but it goes without saying that taking those chances gets you out of the relegation zone. If ever a single game spanned a team’s entire season, it was on Sunday afternoon at Elland Road.
Mark Carey
This is how the table looked at the end of the day:
(Top Photo: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)