Everton stays in Premier League after its final-day escape

Leicester, England — Seven years after the most improbable Premier League title triumph of all, Leicester was relegated from English soccer's top division on Sunday while Everton pulled off another last-day escape to extend its 69-year stay.

Leeds was also consigned to the drop with Leicester and already-relegated Southampton as the league season reached its conclusion.

Everton's 1-0 win over Bournemouth meant Leicester's 2-1 victory against West Ham was ultimately meaningless. Leeds' miserable campaign ended in a 4-1 loss at home against Tottenham.

Leicester's demise stands out because of the dramatic nature of its fall after experiencing the most spectacular period in its history in recent years.

By winning the title as a 5,000-1 shot in 2016, it provided the Premier League with its greatest fairy tale being crowned champion two years after being promoted from the second tier.

In 2021 it was celebrating victory against Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, a period that also saw it achieve back-to-back fifthplace finishes.

Relegation was not seen as a realistic threat this season — even after a summer in which Leicester failed to make major moves in the transfer market.

In the Premier League, however, fairy tales do not guarantee happily-ever-after endings and Leicester now faces an uncertain future with interim manager Dean Smith out of contract and a host of its star players likely to leave in the summer.

"The Premier League is where everybody wants to be playing," Smith said afterward. "It feels raw now, it hurts and everybody will be devastated. But with the infrastructure it's got it will bounce back."

While those words were encouraging, there is no guarantee that Leicester will be back in the top flight any time soon.

Top players like James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and Harvey Barnes could all depart and will have suitors from leading clubs.