Despite ending their season with a 2-1 victory against West Ham United at the King Power Stadium on Sunday afternoon, Leicester City was relegated from the Premier League in 18th place.
Harvey Barnes and Wout Faes’ goals proved to be enough for the Foxes to defeat a West Ham team that grabbed a late consolation goal through Pablo Fornals. The Foxes upheld their half of the agreement.
The victory was not enough, though, as Dean Smith’s team was relegated to the Championship along with Southampton and Leeds United after ending two points behind Everton in 17th place when the Toffees defeated Bournemouth at Goodison Park.
Leicester won the Premier League title in 2015–16, however they will now compete in English football’s second division for the first time since the 2013–14 season.
While West Ham completed the season in 14th place overall, they may qualify for the 2023–24 Europa League by defeating Fiorentina in the final of the Europa Conference League on June 7. As the ball broke to Kelechi Iheanacho beyond the West Ham box in the 14th minute, Leicester had its first half-chance of the match, but the striker could only drag his shot wide of the goal.
David Moyes’ team lacked the game composure in the final game of the season
Although Leicester was the team pushing, Daniel Iversen had to make a deft save at the opposite end to stop Michail Antonio, and in the 18th minute Youri Tielemans fired one over the crossbar.
In the 20th minute, Fornals tried his luck for the visitors and sent a shot just wide. Then, in the 25th minute, Barnes attempted to score but West Ham custodian Lukasz Fabianski made a good save. Three minutes later, Iheanacho blasted a thunderous drive inside the area for Leicester, but the ball narrowly missed the top of the crossbar.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall hit the West Ham crossbar with a shot, and Leicester created another opportunity with deft play in the final third. In the 34th minute of the game, Barnes, who had just completed a one-two with Iheanacho, gave the home team the lead by scoring into the bottom corner of the goal.
In the 36th minute, James Maddison sent a shot just wide of the West Ham goal, and Leicester appeared far from a side that was in imminent danger of slipping into English football’s lower division.
Jonny Evans headed narrowly wide of the opposition’s goal as the Foxes attempted to increase their lead early in the second half. Just before the hour, Said Benrahma nearly tied the game when he hit a long-range shot, but the post saved Leicester.
The home side looked ferocious and hungry for goals
With a superb header from a Tielemans free kick, Faes increased the advantage for the home team in the 62nd minute. However, the celebrations simmered down as Everton seized the lead over Bournemouth.
In the 69th minute, Danny Ings squandered a golden opportunity to put the visitors ahead, as the West Ham replacement, set up by Jarrod Bowen, inexplicably missed the crossbar from close range. In the 79th minute, Fornals did manage to cut the lead in half. The Spaniard raced onto a feed from Ings and finished skillfully to score.
As the match at Goodison Park neared its conclusion, rumours of a probable Bournemouth equaliser against Everton circulated around the stadium, but the Cherries failed to score. The game on Merseyside featured 10 minutes of added time, but there was no dramatic finish to that contest as Leicester suffered demotion to the Championship at the conclusion of a terrible season.
