JUST like that the Premier League season is OVER and what a dramatic final day it was.
Abdoulaye Doucoure’s stunner gave Everton all three points against Bournemouth and retained the Toffee’s Premier League status.
Leicester and Leeds’ time in the top flight has come to an end and both will play Championship football next season.
- Everton 1-0 Bournemouth LIVE RESULT
- (R) Leicester 2-1 West Ham LIVE RESULT
- (R) Leeds 1-4 Spurs LIVE RESULT
PREMIER LEAGUE RELEGATION ODDS: TEAMS LIKELY TO GO DOWN IN 2022/23 SEASON
Follow ALL the action from the final day with our live blog below…
More from Lampard
Frank Lampard added ahead of his Chelsea departure: “Standards as a collective for a club like Chelsea have to be at the maximum or you won’t be physically competitive enough, or you won’t be able to play at a high level, high speed the Premier League demands.
“If you’re not together in the dressing room and vocal in the dressing room, and driving each other and competitive because ‘I want your place and you want mine’…
“Every top team has to have that. When I came in, very quickly I could see that wasn’t there enough.
“Of course a very good manager can help that but everyone has to take responsibility.”
Lampard warns Pochettino
Frank Lampard revealed the long list of problems Mauricio Pochettino is facing at Chelsea after the team finished 12th in the Premier League with their worst ever points total.
He said: “I’m a big fan of Pochettino as a manager, I think he’s a very good manager. But it’s not about which individual it might be, it’s about getting the right high level of manager.
“Pochettino’s history tells you he works at clubs of this sort of level and then letting him get to work with the players he creates a solid identity in a team that can win more games. Those things aren’t always overnight things, so we have to be careful with expectations a little bit.
“There’s a lot of work to be done. That’s my synopsis after six weeks, the basics that I keep talking about – standards are so relevant to this club at the minute. Standards collectively have dropped – I can be honest about that as it’s my last game and I might not see some of them that much anyway.”
Erik ten Hag warning
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag insist the club must invest if they want to win the Premier League.
Ten Hag said: “The club knows that if you want to play top four, if you want to compete for trophies in this tough league, you have to invest, otherwise you won’t progress because other clubs will.
“We saw it in the winter. All the clubs around us invested.
“We didn’t and still we made it. So I am really happy and proud of my team.”
Pep Guardiola reacts
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola praised Brentford and insists one of his targets for next season is to beat Thomas Frank’s side.
Guardiola told Sky Sports: “Congratulations to Brentford, in the second half they pushed more. They are master of how quick they play and how aggressive and fast they are in all departments.
“I don’t have any complaints of how good we behaved. I said to the players, today they finish a Premier League which you won deservedly. Now, two days off and then Wednesday we prepare for first final.
“Brentford are the best team by far in set pieces but not just in that concept. They’re an exceptional team, I have a lot of admiration for Thomas Frank for many years. You have the feeling and vibes that unity of club is there.
“Normally people talk about champions, when you see what Bournemouth have done since Gary O’Neil took over and Brentford, it’s exceptional. Hopefully next season we can do better and beat them like last season. We have a target for net season.
“Once you get the title, it’s normal for your mind to go that way. The result is not ideal but I am sure we’d have behaved differently if we needed points to be champion.”
Credit: Alamy No time for celebrations
Liverpool legend and Everton fan Jamie Carragher insists the Toffees shouldn’t celebrate Premier League survival too much.
Carragher told Sky Sports: “I was really pleased there was a feeling inside Goodison Park that Everton fans shouldn’t be celebrating this.
“I’m from the city. Everton haven’t punched above their weight for a long time, but to find themselves in this position two years running is awful.
“When I hear the players saying that commitment and mentality got them over the line… it’s embarrassing.
“Everton shouldn’t be in this position with the players they have got and the amount of money that has been spent, over £700m. I can understand the players are relieved, but don’t be celebrating this too much.
“Those players have got away with a lot this season because all the eyes have been on the owner and those running the football club.
“There were cries of ‘sack the board’ at the end of the game, I agree with that. But the players have been awful, absolutely shocking, so they shouldn’t be getting away with it at all.”
Sean Dyche reacts
Everton manager Sean Dyche insisted the Toffees are not a “broken club”.
Dyche told Sky Sports: “Obviously it means a lot. To me, I took over what they called a broken club. It’s not broken. There are certainly cracks but it’s not broken. We’ve shown that fighting spirit we needed.
“But I’ve told the players they shouldn’t be in this state and we’ve got to learn. Next season is going to be a big season. It’s a magic day but at the end of the day we shouldn’t be in this shape.
“We needed belief in the group and I think we’ve done that well. As a staff we’ve maintained that, we’ve kept them believing. They’ve seen people dropping, we’ve got no full-backs, no forwards, but we’ve kept going.
“‘Doucs’ [Abdoulaye Doucoure] has been a shining light in that and he scores a cracking goal. He might have mis-hit it. But we have to learn from this experience. You’re only a big club if you give big club performances and you do big club things.
“This is a big club but we’ve got to get it back to being there off the pitch and not just on the pitch.”
Final day recap
The Premier League season came to a close with a dramatic final round of fixtures.
Everton avoided relegation after beating Bournemouth 1-0 and condemned Leeds as well as Leicester to the Championship after a 4-1 loss to Tottenham and 2-1 win against West Ham respectively.
The Whites and the Foxes are going to the Championship along with Southampton, who drew 4-4 with Liverpool in an entertaining encounter.
Aston Villa beat Brighton 2-1 to seal a place in the Europa Conference League and ended Brentford’s dreams despite their 1-0 win over Premier League champions Manchester City.
Manchester United finished third after beating Fulham 2-1 following Newcastle’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea.
Arsenal destroyed Wolves 5-0, whereas Crystal Palace drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest.
Final Premier League table
Manchester United and Newcastle are going to the Champions League along with Arsenal and Premier League champions Manchester City.
Liverpool and Brighton have sealed a place in the Europa League whereas Aston Villa have qualified for the Europa Conference League next season.
Southampton were joined by Leeds and Leicester in the drop zone and will thus be playing in the Championship next season.
More below:
We need to become a big club
Sean Dyche has said that it is now time for Everton to make themselves a big club again.
While the manager feels Everton is a big club, performances count more than history.
It is a chance now for The Toffees to re-establish themselves in the football world.
Final positions at the bottom
As the Premier League season draws to a close Everton fans will party long into the night as they secure their survival.
Jamie Vardy will not be having his party tonight, the former Premier League winners are relegated.
Leeds United will have to rebuild and look to bounce back next season, not an easy ask.
Southampton, Leeds and Leicester relegated
Everton secure Premier League survival
FT: Everton 1-0 Bournemouth
FT: Leicester 2-1 West Ham
Leeds 1-4 Tottenham
Lucas Moura has rubbed salt into the wound for Leeds fans.
Sam Allardyce’s side are going down to the Championship.
As the full time whistle goes, their fate is sealed.
FT: Crystal Palace 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Brentford 1-0 Man City
Ethan Pinnock sends the Brentford fans into raptures.
A late goal here could cement a victory over the Premier League champions.
Although it seems unlikely they will seal a place in Europe, it has been a great season for Thomas Frank’s side.
Leicester 2-1 West Ham
Despite Everton still leading, it has become an edgy atmosphere at the King Power Stadium.
With just over ten minutes remaining, this game is back in the balance.
Everyone is more concerned with events at Goodison Park at the moment.
Goal – Pablo Fornals (West Ham)
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
