Leeds United, Leicester City try to avoid drop, end Everton’s lengthy Premier League stay

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The Champions have already been crowned and the Champions League spots are all but cemented, so Sunday’s final Premier League fixtures focus on three matches: Bournemouth at Everton, Tottenham at Leeds and Leicester hosting West Ham.

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As it stands, Leeds and Leicester will drop to the League Championship, England’s second division, with already-relegated Southampton. But if Everton loses or draws and Leicester wins, Everton goes down.

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Leeds will need Everton to lose, a draw would only help them if they beat Spurs 4-0 because Everton’s goal difference is better.

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A reminder that while Leicester won the Premier League in 2015, Everton has been in the top flight since 1954. There’s also a potential lawsuit hanging in the balance. The relegation rivals around Everton have threatened to sue the Premier League over a lack of a points penalty for financial irregularities.

Over the past five years Everton is 15th in net spend, but over the past two seasons, it has barely spent anything and racked up millions in spending without balancing revenues.

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The Toffees were charged by the Premier League but have been granted leniency and pending appeals because they claimed COVID-19 impacted their intake. The other clubs argue they complied during the same period and Everton should be deducted points.

Similarly, the staggering 115 financial charges against champions Manchester City generally seem to be shrugged off with lack of significant penalties.

This is a massive problem in the Premier League. The Financial Fair Play rules were brought in because of clubs like Leeds, who broke the bank trying to win the Champions League in the early 2000s but flew too close to the sun, hit bankruptcy and spent 20 years outside the Premier League before recently returning.

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The contrast of Everton and Leeds locked in this relegation battle is fascinating, but the Premier League seems unwilling to tackle teams that break rules and just spend their way to success — or lack of it in Everton’s case.

Odds are that playing a Bournemouth team with nothing on the line and already thinking about summer holidays, Everton will take care of business, but they’ll have to do it without striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Once considered one of the young jewels of English talent, he has yet another hamstring injury, a player who just can’t stay on the pitch when needed most. Everton struggles for goals with him, without him you’d have to hope for a set-piece scramble to generate something.

But Everton is at home and the passionate crowd will be roaring. What remains to be seen is if Bournemouth have any stomach left for a fight.

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Other storylines floating around as we head into the last weekend include Spurs trying to stay motivated in the wake of more uncertainly.

Will Harry Kane stay in the summer? He’s reaching the age when this will be his last big contract, but he’s yet to win a single piece of silverware at Tottenham.

Spurs are searching for yet another manager and fans are fed up. Two days ago, the headlines were that young Dutch manager Arne Slot of Feyenoord was on his way and Spurs were negotiating a fee to get him out of his contract. On Thursday, he apparently had a change of heart and is staying in Holland.

The bookies’ leading candidate now is Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou, but Spurs need to get this right or this off-season could be another disaster.

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Which teams are coming up? Burnley and Sheffield United have already won promotion to next season’s Premier League campaign while on Saturday, Coventry plays Luton at Wembley for the final spot in the top flight.

Luton was a first-division staple for much of the 1970s and ’80s, but hasn’t been in the top flight since 1992. It has plumbed the depths of the lowest divisions, even dropping into the conference at one point, but have a historical fan base and would be a welcome addition back.

Coventry managed to stay in the top division for decades before being relegated in 2001 and haven’t found a way back yet. This is a golden opportunity for both clubs who have significant history in the top flight.

While West Ham prepares for their first European Final in 47 years, it hasn’t won a trophy since the FA Cup in 1980 and the club is also preparing for an exodus in the off-season.

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After several strong seasons under David Moyes, the Irons battled relegation all season and, even though they’re in a European final, captain Declan Rice seems to be on the move. He has stayed in the past because the club was showing progress. But with Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and even Manchester City suggesting he’s a premium target for them — and the price likely to approach $200 million — it may be time to let him go and use the funds to bolster depth.

All games this Sunday are available exclusively on Fubo TV, sign up at https://www.fubo.tv/welcome

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SUNDAY, MAY 28

Arsenal v. Wolves; Aston Villa v. Brighton; Brentford v. Manchester City; Chelsea v. Newcastle; Crystal Palace v. Nottingham Forest; Everton v. Bournemouth; Leeds v. Tottenham; Leicester v. West Ham; Manchester United v. Fulham; Southampton v. Liverpool.

Italian Serie A

Not much left to decide in Italy, but keep an eye on Inter Milan and Atalanta. Juventus was docked 10 points for financial irregularities this week (take note Premier League), it vaulted AC Milan into the last spot. Atalanta still holds slim hope of qualifying and Inter will be a tough task, but they also have an eye on the Champions League final and that’s certainly top priority for them.

FRIDAY: Sampdoria v. Sassuolo.

SATURDAY: Salernitana v. Udinese; Spezia v. Torino; Fiorentina v. Roma; Inter Milan v. Atalanta.

SUNDAY: Hellas Verona v. Empoli; Bologna v. Napoli; Monza v. Lecce; Lazio v. Cremonese; Juventus v. AC Milan.

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