Leicester City 2-1 West Ham: Foxes relegated from Premier League despite win on final day

Leicester City's nine-year stay in the Premier League came to an end as they were relegated in agonising fashion despite beating West Ham on the final day of the season.

The Foxes' fate was out of their hands heading into the last round of fixtures, and Everton's 1-0 victory over Bournemouth meant the 2015-16 winners slipped into the Championship by two points.

While Toffees fans were in ecstasy at Goodison Park, Leicester supporters at the King Power were left to rue a miserable campaign in which they won only nine league matches.

Knowing they needed a win to have any chance of staying up, Leicester went close early on when Kelechi Iheanacho exchanged passes with James Maddison before clipping the crossbar with a vicious, curling effort.

The hosts did break the deadlock through Harvey Barnes' cool finish from Iheanacho's pass to lead at half-time, and at that stage they were staying up on goal difference.

Jonny Evans almost headed into his own net in a nerve-jangling second half, but the stadium was silenced when word filtered through about Everton scoring.

Said Benrahma struck a delightful curling effort against the post for the visitors, before Wout Faes headed in Leicester's second goal.

Pablo Fornals pulled a goal back by stabbing in via the post as the Hammers finished 14th, six points clear of the relegation zone.

Champions League to Championship

Leicester's game finished before Everton's, which meant the Foxes players had to wait on the pitch for confirmation to come through that they were relegated.

Some huddled around defender Victor Kristiansen's phone, but any glimmer of hope was extinguished when the full-time whistle blew at Goodison.

Many of the crowd jeered, but some did afford their players a generous ovation when they applauded the fans before heading down the tunnel and out of the top flight.

Leicester have been the architects of their own downfall, ending a wretched season with just three wins from their final 17 games and keeping just one clean sheet since November.

Dean Smith's mandate when he was appointed in April was to preserve the status of a side that were shock champions only seven years ago, but nine points from his eight games in charge was simply not enough.

And that means relegation to the Championship just six years after they reached the Champions League quarter-finals.

Barnes' delightful finish and a 1-0 half-time lead gave the Foxes optimism they may just stay alive.

But after Everton took the lead through Abdoulaye Doucoure's brilliant strike, Faes' goal mattered little as Bournemouth could not find a way through.

Leicester supporters did break out into cheers on a number of occasions as news spread of a Cherries 'equaliser' - but each time it was a false dawn.

A summer of upheaval follows for the Foxes, with Maddison and Barnes the most sellable assets, and seven players and manager Smith out of contract.

Hammers looking to European final

West Ham supporters were in fine voice throughout the game, knowing Premier League football was secure for another year, and they have a European final to look forward to.

As news of the scoreline from Goodison came through, they taunted the home crowd with chants of 'You're going down'.

Their team were second best for much of the contest, with Fornals netting a consolation and skipper Declan Rice possibly featuring in his last league game for the club.

This was their 20th league defeat of the season, but their focus was already on Prague, where they face Italian side Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final on 7 June.

Victory would give them their first major trophy since they lifted the 1980 FA Cup.

Player of the match

BarnesHarvey Barnes

Leicester City

Squad number7Player nameBarnes

Squad number10Player nameMaddison

Squad number14Player nameIheanacho

Squad number8Player nameTielemans

Squad number6Player nameEvans

Squad number27Player nameCastagne

Squad number31Player nameIversen

Squad number3Player nameFaes

Squad number22Player nameDewsbury-Hall

Squad number42Player nameSoumaré

Squad number33Player nameThomas

Squad number24Player nameMendy

Squad number9Player nameVardy

Squad number21Player nameRicardo Pereira

West Ham United

Squad number10Player nameLanzini

Squad number20Player nameBowen

Squad number41Player nameRice

Squad number8Player nameFornals

Squad number11Player nameLucas Paquetá

Squad number33Player nameEmerson

Squad number22Player nameBenrahma

Squad number1Player nameFabianski

Squad number5Player nameCoufal

Squad number9Player nameAntonio

Squad number27Player nameAguerd

Squad number3Player nameCresswell

Squad number14Player nameCornet

Squad number12Player nameDownes

Squad number24Player nameKehrer

Squad number18Player nameIngs

Line-ups

Leicester

Formation 4-2-3-1

31Iversen

27Castagne3Faes6Evans33Thomas

42Soumaré22Dewsbury-Hall

10Maddison8Tielemans7Barnes

14Iheanacho

Substitutes

West Ham

Formation 4-2-3-1

1Fabianski

5Coufal24Kehrer27Aguerd3Cresswell

41Rice12Downes

8Fornals11Lucas Paquetá22Benrahma

9Antonio

Substitutes

Live Text

Match ends, Leicester City 2, West Ham United 1.

Second Half ends, Leicester City 2, West Ham United 1.

Offside, West Ham United. Thilo Kehrer tries a through ball, but Maxwel Cornet is caught offside.

Attempt blocked. Emerson (West Ham United) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Pablo Fornals.

Attempt missed. Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Danny Ings.

Substitution, Leicester City. Ricardo Pereira replaces Timothy Castagne.

Offside, West Ham United. Declan Rice tries a through ball, but Maxwel Cornet is caught offside.

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Delay in match because of an injury James Maddison (Leicester City).

Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Wout Faes.

Substitution, West Ham United. Manuel Lanzini replaces Flynn Downes.

Foul by Timothy Castagne (Leicester City).

Emerson (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Attempt missed. Maxwel Cornet (West Ham United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Emerson with a cross.

James Maddison (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Foul by Declan Rice (West Ham United).

Goal! Leicester City 2, West Ham United 1. Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Danny Ings.

Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Emerson.

Substitution, Leicester City. Jamie Vardy replaces Kelechi Iheanacho.

Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Nayef Aguerd.

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