Everton stays in Premier League after final-day escape, Leicester and Leeds relegated
Everton staged another last-day escape in the Premier League to extend its 69-year stay in England’s top division
Everton staged another last-day escape in the Premier League to extend its 69-year stay in England’s top division as Leicester and Leeds were relegated on Sunday. Abdoulaye Doucouré smashed home a 57th-minute goal to earn Everton a 1-0 win over Bournemouth that was enough to keep the team two points above Leicester, whose 2-1 victory against West Ham was in vain.
Leicester is relegated seven years after winning the Premier League at preseason odds of 5,000-1 in one of sport’s great underdog stories.
Leeds lost 4-1 to Tottenham and also went down after three years in the league.
Everton, which has been in the top division since 1954, survived on the final day of the season in both 1994 and 1998.
Relegation was the main focus on Sunday with the title having already been clinched by Manchester City and the four qualifiers for next season's Champions League already decided.
Manchester United climbed above Newcastle to finish third thanks to a 2-1 win over Fulham, while Aston Villa sealed seventh place and a spot in the Europa Conference League after beating Brighton 2-1.
The wildest game saw Southampton and Liverpool draw 4-4.
In likely Arsenal farewell, Xhaka nets brace
If this was Granit Xhaka's Arsenal farewell, he made it one to remember.
In his 297th and probably last game for the club, Xhaka scored two goals for the first time as the Premier League runners-up finished the season with a 5-0 win over Wolverhampton on Sunday.
Xhaka headed in a cross from Gabriel Jesus in the 11th minute and doubled the lead three minutes later after the ball fell to him in the center of the box following a failed clearance.
The Switzerland midfielder, who has been linked with a move to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, was taken off to a standing ovation in the 75th minute and hugged his teammates as he left the pitch.
Arsenal had lost its previous two games to hand the league title to Manchester City but faced little resistance from a Wolves side with nothing to play for.
Bukayo Saka made it 3-0 in the 27th with a neat curled finish inside the far post and Jesus headed in the fourth in the 58th after a cross from Leandro Trossard.
Defender Jakub Kiwior then rounded off the win by scoring his first Arsenal goal with a shot that Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa spilled into the net.