Fans celebrate as Everton FC narrowly avoid relegation with win over Bournemouth

Abdoulaye Doucoure celebrates scoring Everton's winning goal during their Premier League fight for survival at Goodison Park. Credit: PA Images

Everton have narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League with a win on the final day of the season.

The Toffees beat the drop after beating Bournemouth at home, in a fight for survival which came down to the final game of the season.

Abdoulaye Doucoure scored the most important goal of his career and possibly Everton’s history to save the side from relegation with the 1-0 win.

Fans were seen streaming on to the pitch as the final whistle blew following tense scenes at Goodison Park as 10 minutes of extra time were added to the end of the match.

Everton fans invaded the pitch after securing safety in the Premier League. Credit: PA Images

Everton started the second half in the bottom three but their hopes were revived in the 57th minute.

Abdoulaye Doucoure smashed home a drive after Adam Smith’s weak header dropped to him on the edge of the area.

His powerful 20-yard strike was enough to extend the club’s top-flight stay to a 70th successive season.

Everton manager Sean Dyche celebrated securing his team's safety on the final day of the season. Credit: PA Images

Their win means Leicester will find themselves playing in the Championship next season, despite a win against West Ham.

Leeds United were also relegated after losing 3-1 at home to Tottenham.

The result will come as a relief for the club, which has not played outside of the top fight since 1954.

But Everton have struggled for form in the last two seasons, but boss Frank Lampard kept the in the Premier League in the 2021/22 last season.

He was later sacked in January 2023, and Sean Dyche brought in to keep the club up.

Everton had been in the last-day, last-chance saloon twice before in 1994 and 1998 but on both of those occasions their fate was not in their own hands.

In 1994 they beat Wimbledon 3-2 – coming back from 2-0 down – with rivals Ipswich, Sheffield United and Southampton faring worse and four years later they bettered Bolton’s result at Chelsea to survive.

A new £500 million, 52,000-capacity stadium is currently being built on Bramley-Moore Dock in Vauxhall which is meant to be ready for the 2024/25 season.

However, they are not out of trouble as the club have posted losses in excess of £430million over the last four years and have an outstanding Premier League charge for breaching profit and sustainability rules.

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