Jack Grealish’s goal kept Aston Villa in the Premier League. (Source: Reuters)
Aston Villa preserved their Premier League status with a nerve-racking 1-1 draw at West Ham United on Sunday — a result that meant they finished one point above the relegation zone.
Captain Jack Grealish thought he had won it for Villa when he fired past Lukasz Fabianski in the 84th minute but West Ham hit back almost immediately through Andriy Yarmolenko.
With Bournemouth winning at Everton, Dean Smith’s Villa knew that defeat would send them down but they held on.
Villa had been in the bottom three since February until their midweek win over Arsenal left their fate in their own hands. While they could not grab the victory, Watford’s loss at Arsenal ensured a second successive season in the top flight.
Bournemouth end top-flight stay with win at Everton
Bournemouth’s five-year stay in the Premier League came to an end on Sunday. (Source: Reuters)
Junior Stanislas scored a fine solo goal as Bournemouth fought gallantly but ended their five-year stay in the Premier League with an entertaining 3-1 victory over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.
The visitors needed three points to have a chance of survival and put on an excellent display. However, Aston Villa’s draw at West Ham United sealed the fate of the south coast side, who finished with 34 points, one shy of safety.
Josh King gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot after 13 minutes, but Everton drew level before halftime through Moise Kean as the home team enjoyed the majority of possession. But after Dominic Solanke restored their lead, Stanislas gave Bournemouth a two-goal cushion late in the second half.
It was just a second win in 13 matches for Bournemouth, and a first away since victory at Chelsea in December. However, their nine losses on the road since then went a long way to sealing their return to the Championship.
Everton end their disappointing campaign in 12th position, with much work for manager Carlo Ancelotti to do in the short pre-season before the start of the new campaign on September 12.
? The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines
For all the latest Sports News, download Indian Express App.
