Leicester vs West Ham result: Premier League relegation confirmed for Foxes despite final-day win

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Raj Singh Mahil
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James Maddison Leicester relegated

KING POWER STADIUM, LEICESTER — The clock has finally struck midnight on Leicester City’s Cinderella story, with the Foxes relegated from the Premier League despite a final-day victory over West Ham United. 

Goals from Harvey Barnes and Wout Faes, before a Pablo Fornals strike in response, gave the hosts a 2-1 win, but it was in vain as Everton were the side to survive thanks to their own 1-0 triumph over Bournemouth at Goodison Park.

It took an agonising wait of six minutes between the final whistle here and on Merseyside, with half of the Leicester fans booing and the other half applauding as confirmation of the drop arrived. 

It’s nothing short of a shambolic underperformance that has seen this set of players go down to the Championship, such is the quality available in this squad. But it’s in the second tier they will ply their trade next season, for the first time in nine years. 

Since rising back up to the Premier League for the 2014/15 campaign, this club has experienced every emotion going. There are so many events which immediately spring to mind that it’s barely believable this has come in an eight-year span for a single club: 

Signing Esteban Cambiasso. The dramatic 5-3 comeback win over Manchester United. The plummet towards relegation. Manager Nigel Pearson strangling James McArthur and his subsequent press conference in which he called a journalist “an ostrich”. The miraculous great escape, going from 20th to 14th in the final weeks of the season. 

The racism scandal in Thailand involving Pearson’s son, and the sacking of the manager as part of the fallout. Hiring Claudio Ranieri. Jamie Vardy breaking the Premier League record for scoring in successive games, with 11 — fuelled purely by Red Bull and Skittles. Dilly ding, dilly dong. Aiming for 40 points, with pizzas on the team bus. Riyad Mahrez taking the league by storm. 

Winning the title by 10 points, with N’Golo Kante playing on both sides of Danny Drinkwater. Lifting the Premier League trophy with Andrea Bocelli signing Nessum Dorma in the centre-circle beforehand. Gary Lineker presenting Match of the Day in his boxers. Sacking Claudio Ranieri. 

Reaching the Champions League quarter-finals under Craig Shakespeare. The tragic helicopter crash just outside this stadium, with beloved owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha among five fatalities. Two huge pushes at Champions League qualification, but coming short on the final day. The FA Cup win at Wembley under Brendan Rodgers. Making the Europa Conference League semi-finals. 

Now, this remarkable era is finally over. The magic has worn off. Leicester will return to the Championship — and won’t even have an East Midlands Derby to entertain them, with Nottingham Forest surviving in the Premier League and Derby County failing to make it out of League One. 

The Foxes needed snookers to get this one last heist over the line today, with destiny out of their hands, even with a win. Everton — who had never been relegated in club history — would survive with three points of their own against Bournemouth. Leeds United were also in the mix, though a vastly inferior goal difference meant the Yorkshire giants needed both of their rivals to drop points, while also beating Tottenham Hotspur.

West Ham resisted the temptation to rest players ahead of a Europa Conference League final. David Moyes put out a very strong lineup, led by captain fantastic Declan Rice, almost certainly playing his final domestic game for the club as he reportedly prepares for a summer transfer to either Arsenal or Manchester United. 

Dean Smith had big selection decisions of his own to make, bringing back Harvey Barnes and star man James Maddison, after both had surprisingly been dropped for Monday’s 0-0 draw at Newcastle United. They were flanking Kelechi Iheanacho, who got the nod ahead of club legend Jamie Vardy. 

That call was justified very quickly. Iheanacho had a fantastic first half, dragging Leicester into an impressive start which calmed some of the nerves around the place. The Nigerian striker looked tired by the half-hour mark, but was having a big impact, making really intelligent runs and showing great decision-making. 

He fired Leicester’s first close effort and then helped raise the roof by playing a big part in the fantastic opener. Iheanacho received the ball from Barnes in the box, and laid it back off to the winger, cutting in from the left, who made no mistake by confidently slotting it beyond Lukasz Fanianski from a narrow angle. The fans had hope. 

That hope was falsely taken to new levels throughout the afternoon, with rumours of a Bournemouth goal three times resulting in celebrations in the stands on Filbert Way. They were afforded one more real celebration, though, when Wout Faes — who had an awful evening against Liverpool here a fortnight ago — headed in from a free-kick after the break. 

Pablo Fornals was afforded far too much time and space as he cut in from the left to pull a goal back for the Irons, following up on his strike against AZ Alkmaar last week with another tidy finish, this one hitting the near post en route. Substitute Danny Ings had a host of chances to equalise, but repeatedly skied it — not that it mattered, as the Prague-bound away fans had a party regardless. 

Vardy came on for what may well be his final Premier League appearance in the blue of Leicester, but couldn’t impact proceedings at all. Maddison, also among the legion of players set to move on, was purring at times as he controlled the tempo for his side and showcased his quality. 

Smith said in his postgame press conference: "The performance was good, I’m really pleased with how the players handled the pressure of the situation. It’s a massive disappointment for everybody that it’s come to this. 

"I always felt coming in it was going to be tough. The confidence was low, the belief was low. I thought we’d need 11 points to stay up — ultimately it was 11 points but we only got nine. In that respect, I’ve failed."

As the rebuild begins, those big decisions in the transfer market will be the immediate focus for chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, as will the future of Smith, who was dealt a bad hand when he arrived eight games ago.

The caretaker manager — who has "no doubts [Leicester] will bounce back" — is unclear as to whether he'll return. He continued: "We didn’t speak about anything beyond the seven weeks. I’m not thinking about my future at the moment. This is raw. I’ll go away and reflect on it. It’s a hypothetical question."

With plans to expand the stadium, a plush new training ground and the expectation that comes along with winning trophies, an unexpected reset is now on the cards for a club which was starting to feel like one of the big boys. 

The Sporting News was live from the East Midlands, with updates and highlights below. 

Leicester vs West Ham result

  Final score Goalscorers
Leicester

2

Barnes (34), Faes (62)
West Ham

1

Fornals (79)

Final Premier League relegation table

Pos Team Points Goal
Difference
17. Everton 36 -23
18. Leicester 34 -17
19. Leeds 31 -30

Leicester vs West Ham updates, highlights from Premier League relegation battle 

LEICESTER RELEGATED: After an agonising wait for the final score from Everton to arrive with 11 minutes of stoppage time there, the Foxes are down. 

*Watch in UK: 

FULL-TIME: Leicester 2-1 West Ham. The Foxes have held up their part of the bargain, but it looks like it won't be enough. 

93rd min: West Ham have an opportunity to tie it up and really end the dream, but Ings again blasts it high after good play down the left wing. 

90th min: Six minutes of added time to go. 

89th min: Maddison has been rolling on the ground in agony for a little while and the game is stopped. The No.10 throws his boot off in pain, in what could be his final act as a Leicester player. 

82nd min: More false rumours, as Leicester fans twice celebrate Bournemouth "goals" in the last few minutes. It's still 1-0 to Everton as it stands. 

79th min: GOAL! West Ham have one back. Fornals receives the ball on the left wing and under no pressure whatsoever, runs into the box as the defenders back off. He finishes with his right foot, hitting the near post on the way in. 

*Watch in UK: 

77th min: For what may well be his final Premier League appearance in the blue of Leicester, Vardy enters the fray. 

75th min: Ings fires another shot over, but West Ham fans are still having a party here. They're making all the noise now; you could hear a pin drop across the other three corners of this ground. Maddison is largely running the show on the ball. 

69th min: Chances at both ends. For Leicester, Maddison weaves his way through a pack of defenders and gets a shot off, but it's saved comfortably. Immediately up the other end of the field, Bowen tees up fellow substitute Ings for a near-open goal, but the striker skies it. 

62nd min: GOAL! Leicester can only do their own job, and they're doing it well. A free-kick is swung in and meets the forehead of Faes, who had an awful night last time out here against Liverpool. His header hits the bottom corner of Fabianski's net and it's 2-0. 

*Watch in UK:

58th min: The mood here has turned with news of an Everton goal filtering through. West Ham fans taunt the home fans by celebrating and signing "you're going down". Leicester are down as it stands. Benrahma hits the post as the visitors threaten. 

52nd min: Screams as West Ham go close with an Evans header towards his own net from a corner. The Irons have generally started much brighter. Meanwhile, not that it matters a great deal in the current circumstances here, but Leeds have conceded a second goal against Spurs. 

46th min: A big embrace between international teammates Rice and Maddison as the players emerge, and we're off for the final 45 minutes of 2022/23! 

HALF-TIME: Leicester 1-0 West Ham. All going to plan so far for the Foxes!

45th min: One minute of additional time. 

40th min: We've got our first false goal rumour of the afternoon! Huge cheers around the stadium but there's no goal at Goodison Park as yet. 

34th min: GOAL! And what a goal it is! Barnes plays it to Iheanacho, who has been brilliant, in the box and the Nigerian immediately returns it to the winger to take out two defenders in the process. Barnes slots past Fabianski from a tight angle and we have lift off at the King Power! 1-0. 

*Watch in USA:

*Watch in UK:

28th min: Iheanacho comes close! He raises the atmosphere here by keeping the ball in play wonderfully with his right boot outstretched, and in one action turns back inside. He fizzes an effort but it goes just over the bar. 

25th min: Every shot on goal so far has been fairly tame, but the good news for Leicester is that they're at least crafting the opportunities. However, Fornals and Benrahma at the other end look menacing whenever they break. Souttar gets a standing ovation as he goes to warm up, following his drop to the bench. 

16th min: End-to-end stuff now. Iheanacho collects a fantastic long ball inside the penalty area but Aguerd cleans up superbly, which sets up an attack that ends in an effort cutting in from the left from Antonio. 

13th min: Though Leicester will be happy with their play so far, West Ham are providing a reminder of what they can do on the counter. Antonio bullying Faes to hold up the ball and spray it wide to Benhrama for a burst up the flank isn't quite capitalised on, but the Irons are growing into the game. 

5th min: The best atmosphere this place has seen for a little while. A positive start from the hosts with Iheanacho and Barnes making bright runs and interchanging. Elsewhere, Leeds have gone 1-0 down to Spurs. 

KICK-OFF: We are underway on a massive afternoon of Premier League action! The players take a knee beforehand in support of the No Room for Racism campaign. 

20 mins to KO: There's no doubt the mood on Filbert Way has been far more subdued than usual this season, and chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has called on the home support to help the 2016/17 champions today. 

He wrote in his programme notes: "This is not a day for regrets. Today we have the opportunity to affect a crucial game with a big atmosphere and I know our fans will be up for the task. The odds may be against us but we've overcome the odds before, with each occasion being defined by shared belief and an utter feeling of togetherness that has seen us over the line. Foxes. Never. Quit." 

40 mins to KO: Despite his poor form of late, Maddison is clearly the Foxes' most important player and will be the key to a victory over the Irons. The England international has 10 goals and nine assists in the league this season. If he lays on another assist today, he'd be the first Leicester player to hit double figures in both categories since the departure of Riyad Mahrez, who did so twice in three years. 

The man he'll be teeing up is Iheanacho, who was taken off at half-time on Monday in his first appearance since late April. The Nigeria international has struck five times in the league in 2022/23, the most recent of those being an equaliser from the penalty spot against Wolverhampton Wanderers last month. 

1 hour to KO: Team news is in... there's no Vardy in the starting XI! Kelechi Iheanacho leads the line, with Maddison and Barnes either side. Harry Souttar is surprisingly dropped.

1 hour 20 mins to KO: While the attention today is naturally on the hosts, it's also a big day for West Ham's captain fantastic. Declan Rice looks almost certain to move on this summer, with Arsenal the most widely-linked destination and Manchester United seemingly entering the battle for his signature, too. 

The 24-year-old has already racked up 203 league appearances for the Hammers, becoming the heartbeat of the team. Everything goes through him, as evidenced by being the only man in the squad to complete over 2,000 passes this term — his closest teammate is Lucas Pacqueta on 1,078. 

1 hour 40 mins to KO: Welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage from King Power Stadium! The reverse fixture this season ended with a victory for Leicester, then managed by Brendan Rodgers, with West Ham themselves in the relegation battle at the time. James Maddison and Harvey Barnes — both dropped for last Monday's trip to Newcastle United — were the goalscorers that day. 

The Irons have of course dramatically turned their campaign around in the last couple of months, with David Moyes guiding his team to safety while also making a European final. Declan Rice and co. will take on Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League showpiece in Prague in early June. 

Getty Images

Leicester vs West Ham lineups, team news 

For the hosts, all eyes were on whether James Maddison and Harvey Barnes would start, after Dean Smith chose to leave them out of the starting XI at Newcastle United in a 0-0 draw on Monday evening, and they both do. They'll flank Kelechi Iheanacho, in for Jamie Vardy. 

Caglar Soyuncu will miss out through injury, and has almost certainly now played his final match for the club. Jonny Evans is okay after some cramp last time out, but Ricardo Pereira and Wilfried Ndidi are not. 

  • Leicester XI: Iversen (GK); Castagne, Faes, Evans, Thomas; Soumare, Dewsbury-Hall, Tielemans; Maddison, Iheanacho, Barnes.

For the Irons, Emerson Palmieri doesn't make it after a late fitness test, but Nayef Aguerd is back in action. Declan Rice could well be playing his final league game in claret and blue, with the midfielder heavily linked with a move to either Arsenal or Manchester United. Tomas Soucek drops to the bench.

  • West Ham XI: Fabianski (GK); Coufal, Kehrer, Aguerd, Cresswell; Downes, Rice, Fornals; Pacqueta, Antonio, Benrahma. 

What time is Leicester vs West Ham? 

All Premier League games on matchday 38 kick off at the same time, 4:30 p.m. local time. This translates across selected timezones as below. 

  Date Kickoff time
USA Sun, May 27 11:30 ET
Canada Sun, May 27 11:30 ET
UK Sun, May 27 20:00 BST
Australia Mon, May 28 01:30 AEST
India Sun, May 27 21:00 IST
Hong Kong Sun, May 27 23:30 HKT
Malaysia Sun, May 27 23:30 MYT
Singapore Sun, May 27 23:30 SGT
New Zealand Mon, May 28 03:30 NZST
Author(s)
Raj Singh Mahil Photo
Raj Singh Mahil

Raj Singh Mahil is UK Chief Editor at The Sporting News.