LEICESTER (Reuters) - Leicester City were relegated from the Premier League despite a 2-1 victory over West Ham United as Everton beat Bournemouth 1-0 to stay up on the final day of the season.
Leicester, who were promoted to the top flight in 2014 and won the title against all the odds in 2016, finished in 18th position on 34 points, two behind Everton, and were relegated along with already doomed Southampton and Leeds United.
“Hard to take. We knew it would be a tough ask, we knew we had to win our game and hope something went for us. It didn’t,” Leicester captain Jonny Evans, who missed a long period of the season through injury, told Sky Sports.
Harvey Barnes had fired the Foxes ahead in the 34th minute after a superb exchange of passes with Kelechi Iheanacho, slotting the ball past goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to lift Leicester above Everton on goal difference.
West Ham looked very much like a side with one eye on their Europa Conference League final with Fiorentina on June 7, but they still threatened on the break, leaving Leicester’s fans on the edge of their seats.
Central defender Wout Faes netted Leicester’s second in the 62nd minute, connecting with a Youri Tielemans free kick to head past Fabianski but by then the crowd was aware that Everton had taken the lead and the celebrations were subdued.