Ex-champions Leicester City, Leeds relegated from Premier League

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.

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.

The Star