Indonesia
Nigeria
South Africa

Leicester City relegated from Premier League despite win over West Ham United

sportsmole.co.uk, 28 May 2023, 17:30
Leicester City have been relegated from the Premier League in 18th position despite finishing their campaign with a 2-1 victory over West Ham United at the King Power Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Foxes kept to their end of the bargain, with goals from Harvey Barnes and Wout Faes proving to be enough to overcome a West Ham side that scored a late consolation through Pablo Fornals.

However, the win was not enough, as Everton beat Bournemouth at Goodison Park, and Dean Smith's side have therefore been relegated to the Championship alongside Southampton and Leeds United, ultimately finishing two points behind the 17th-placed Toffees.

Leicester were Premier League champions in 2015-16, but they will now play in the second tier of English football for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign.

West Ham, meanwhile, have finished the season in 14th position in the table, but they can secure a spot in the 2023-24 Europa League by winning the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina on June 7.

Leicester had the game's first half-chance in the 14th minute when the ball broke to Kelechi Iheanacho outside the West Ham box, but the striker could only drag his attempt wide of the post.

Daniel Iversen then had to make a smart save down the other end to deny Michail Antonio, but Leicester, as expected, were the team pressing, and Youri Tielemans then curled one over the crossbar in the 18th minute.

Fornals was next to try his luck for the visitors, looping one just wide in the 20th minute, before West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski did well to keep out a strike from Barnes in the 25th minute.

Leicester came so close to making the breakthrough three minutes later when Iheanacho unleashed a powerful strike inside the box, but his effort clipped the top of the crossbar.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sent one high of the West Ham crossbar in the period that followed, with Leicester carving out another opportunity though smart play in the final third.

The home side managed to make the breakthrough in the 34th minute of the match through Barnes, who played a one-two with Iheanacho before finishing into the bottom corner of the net.

James Maddison swept one just wide of the West Ham goal in the 36th minute, and Leicester looked far from a team that were in serious danger of down into the second tier of English football.

Jonny Evans headed just wide of the away side's goal in the 52nd minute, with the Foxes looking to double their advantage in the early stages of the second period.

Said Benrahma came close to levelling the scores just before the hour when he struck one from distance, but the post came to Leicester's rescue.

The home side doubled their lead in the 62nd minute, with Faes finding the bottom corner with an excellent header from a Tielemans free kick, but the celebrations were slightly muted due to the news that Everton had taken the lead against Bournemouth.

Danny Ings should have scored for the visitors in the 69th minute, but the West Ham substitute somehow fired over the crossbar from close range after being found by Jarrod Bowen.

Fornals did manage to halve the deficit in the 79th minute, with the Spaniard racing onto a pass from Ings before finding the back of the net with a smart finish.

News of a potential Bournemouth leveller at Everton continued to filter around the stadium, but there was no goal from the Cherries heading into the final stages of their clash at Goodison Park.

There were 10 minutes of additional time in the game on Merseyside, but there was to be no late shock in that match, with Leicester being relegated to the Championship at the end of a disastrous season.

Top News

3 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk The transfer window is open! Clubs around the UK and Europe have one final chance to strengthen their squads for the second half of the season. 3 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Caykur Rizespor vs. Besiktas (Friday, 5.00pm) Besiktas square off against Caykur Rizespor on Friday evening looking for the win that would move the club into fourth place in the Super Lig table. 3 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Pontevedra vs. Mallorca (Friday, 6.00pm) Mallorca will be aiming to book their spot in the last-16 stage of the Copa del Rey when they tackle Pontevedra CF on Friday evening. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly joined the race to sign AC Milan defender and ex-Chelsea man Fikayo Tomori as Ange Postecoglou seeks solutions to his side's defensive crisis. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Having endured a rough end to 2024, Moreirense and AVS will both be hopeful of improved fortunes in the new year as they kick off 2025 with a meeting at Parque de Jogos Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas on Saturday. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are supposedly giving consideration to an audacious swap deal involving wantaway striker Marcus Rashford and Napoli frontman Victor Osimhen. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has reportedly made two demands of the Reds if he is to snub Real Madrid and sign a new deal at Anfield. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Lyon and Montpellier HSC lock horns for the 60th time in Ligue 1 on Saturday, with the hosts seeking a 30th win against their upcoming opponents. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Preston North End are set to welcome Oxford United on Saturday to Deepdale in their 26th Championship game of the season. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Brentford manager Thomas Frank remains without three of his first-choice central defenders ahead of their trip to Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Benfica and Braga are in action for the first time in the new year when they go head to head at the Estadio da Luz in round 17 of the Primeira Liga on Saturday. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk If Fulham are to lose Andreas Pereira either this month or in the summer transfer window amid links with Marseille, the Cottagers could take a quick look across the English capital for a natural replacement for the Brazilian. 2 January 2025 talksport.com Real Madrid Carlo Ancelotti has kept his cards close to his chest regarding the club's pursuit of Liverpool ace Trent Alexander-Arnold. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk The only team yet to taste defeat in the Turkish Super Lig, Galatasaray, will welcome one of the season's surprise packages, Goztepe SK, to Rams Park on Saturday in what promises to be an intriguing encounter. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides at opposite ends of the Turkish Super Lig table will go head-to-head when Samsunspor welcome Trabzonspor to the Samsun 19 May Stadium on Saturday. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will be aiming to move to the top of the La Liga table when they head to Valencia on Friday night. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has reportedly fallen out with Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim, with the Dutchman moving closer to the exit door at Old Trafford. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has addressed suggestions that his club could make a second offer for Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold before the end of the January transfer window. 2 January 2025 talksport.com Ashley Cole has opened up about the painful circumstances surrounding his controversial departure from Arsenal in 2006. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Enzo Maresca is set to recall the five players who dropped out of his Chelsea side at Ipswich Town last week when they travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace on Saturday in the Premier League. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi will return to face his former club Chelsea when the two lock horns at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Saturday. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has reportedly rejected three offers worth in the region of £35m a year to leave Old Trafford. 2 January 2025 talksport.com A cheeky grin from Arsenal star Gabriel Magalhaes was all it took to rub further salt into Tottenham's gaping wounds. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Wojciech Szczesny is in line to make his debut for Barcelona in Saturday's Copa del Rey last-32 clash with Barbastro. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany feels that Phil Foden is at risk of being benched by Pep Guardiola for Saturday's Premier League clash with West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona will be bidding to avoid what would be one of the biggest shocks in the history of the Copa del Rey when they take on fourth-tier outfit Barbastro in the last-32 stage of the 2024-25 tournament on Saturday evening. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has suggested that "the penny might have finally dropped" for Pep Guardiola regarding his use of James McAtee as a first-team player. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min should continue his career in North London despite entering the last six months of his contract, ex-Spurs goalkeeper Kasey Keller has told Sports Mole. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Adana Demirspor will aim to carry forward the momentum from the end of last year as they host Istanbul Basaksehir at the New Adana Stadium on Saturday in a Round 18 Turkish Super Lig fixture. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea will look to improve on an awful end to 2024 when they travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace in their first Premier League game of the new year on Saturday.