Sports
Survival Scrap: Everton, Leicester, Leeds Fight To Avoid Relegation
Sunday’s final day of the Premier League season will be dominated by the intense battle for survival as Everton, Leicester, and Leeds find themselves in a nerve-wracking fight to avoid relegation.
The financial stakes are high for the two clubs that will join Southampton, who have already been relegated.
According to sports business experts Deloitte, a season of Premier League football is estimated to be worth as much as £170 million ($210 million).
For Everton, in particular, the potential consequences are dire as they are already in search of external investment to ensure the completion of their new stadium, therefore, the financial blow of relegation is something the Toffees cannot afford to endure.
Everton holds a significant advantage as they have full control over their fate, with a victory in their home match against Bournemouth will secure their continued presence in the top flight for an impressive 70-year period.
However, Sean Dyche’s men have won just once in 10 games and will be without talismanic striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin to offer Leicester and Leeds hope.
Dyche said on Friday “We want the players to focus on the game. It’s not as easy as it sounds but that’s the idea: focus on what’s going on the pitch and don’t worry about all the noise.
“Don’t worry about all the rumours, don’t worry about anything that’s going on off the pitch.” he added.
In the event that Everton, currently in the fourth-bottom position, fails to secure a victory, third-bottom Leicester still has a chance to survive by defeating West Ham in their home match. Leicester’s superior goal difference would be the deciding factor in their favor.
The Foxes have experienced an incredible journey, particularly seven years ago when they celebrated a highly improbable title triumph.
This marked the beginning of a glorious era for the club, with consecutive fifth-place finishes in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons. Just two years ago, under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers, they achieved another milestone by winning the FA Cup for the first time.
Many have expressed confidence in the squad, which boasts the talents of players like James Maddison, Youri Tielemans, and Harvey Barnes, believing that they are too talented to face relegation.
But the fairytale has turned into a nightmare this season as Rodgers bemoaned a lack of investment to refresh the squad before he was sacked in April.
Dean Smith has been unable to mastermind a turnaround in fortunes with just one win in his seven games in charge.
Smith said “We have to win the game and not look at the Everton result until after the game. We have to do our job and see where it takes us.”
Second bottom Leeds need a miracle to avoid the end of their three-season stay in the top-flight.
Leeds, currently in the second-bottom position, faces a daunting challenge to prolong their three-season tenure in the top-flight.
To secure another remarkable escape, Leeds boss Sam Allardyce will need his team to secure a victory over Tottenham at Elland Road, but that alone will not be sufficient. They also require Everton to lose their match and for Leicester to fail to secure a victory.
If Everton manages to secure even a draw, Leeds will face the additional hurdle of surpassing them on goal difference.
In such a scenario, Leeds would need to defeat Tottenham by a margin of three goals to outperform Everton in terms of goal difference. It would indeed require a miraculous turn of events for Leeds to avoid relegation.
“I just hope that we’re talking on a very positive nature on Monday morning and I have a hangover!” Allardyce said on the possibility he could remain at the club beyond his caretaker role till the end of the season.
Tottenham’s result could have a bearing on the only other issue yet to be resolved – qualification for next season’s Europa Conference League.
Aston Villa are in pole position and will secure a return to Europe for the first time in 13 years with victory over Brighton.
Tottenham has the opportunity to secure seventh place in the league if they achieve a better result than Aston Villa.
However, if both teams fail to win their respective matches, there is a chance for Brentford to create history by qualifying for European competition for the first time.
A surprising victory over champions Manchester City in west London would pave the way for Brentford’s European qualification.
Arsenal, Manchester United, and Newcastle have already guaranteed their spots in the next season’s Champions League, alongside Manchester City. Liverpool and Brighton, on the other hand, will secure places in the Europa League.
Here are the fixtures for the upcoming Sunday matches in the English Premier League, all scheduled for 15:30 GMT:
- Arsenal vs Wolves
- Aston Villa vs Brighton
- Brentford vs Manchester City
- Chelsea vs Newcastle
- Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest
- Everton vs Bournemouth
- Leeds vs Tottenham
- Leicester vs West Ham
- Manchester United vs Fulham
- Southampton vs Liverpool
Portuguese football tactician Carlos Queiroz has made a surprise return as head coach of Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars.
The Ghana Football Association announced the 73-year-old’s reappointment on Thursday, weeks after he appeared to signal his departure from the team following their exit from the FIFA World Cup.
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Queiroz took charge of Ghana in April and guided the Black Stars to the last 32 of the tournament before they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia.
Shortly after the loss, the Portuguese coach appeared to announce his departure on social media.
However, following subsequent discussions, the Ghana FA has decided to bring him back for another spell.
The duration of Queiroz’s new contract was not disclosed, but the football association said he would be tasked with preparing the Black Stars for “a successful new phase on the international stage.”
The GFA said Queiroz’s extensive international experience, technical expertise and knowledge of the Black Stars made him the right man to lead the team into its next chapter.
Queiroz has managed several national teams, including Portugal, Iran, Egypt, South Africa, Colombia and Qatar.
He also had two spells as assistant manager at Manchester United under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
His immediate priority will be Ghana’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, with the qualifiers scheduled to begin later this month.
The Black Stars have been drawn in Group C alongside Ivory Coast, The Gambia and Somalia, although the dates and venues for their opening two matches are yet to be announced.
The Ghana FA said further details on Queiroz’s mandate would be released in due course.
Nigerian winger Femi Azeez has completed a remarkable rise from non-league football to the Premier League after joining Brighton & Hove Albion from Millwall on a four-year contract.
The transfer, for an undisclosed fee, was completed after Brighton and Millwall submitted a deal sheet before the initial 11pm transfer deadline, extending the window until 1am on Wednesday.
Azeez, 25, joins Brighton following an outstanding 2025/26 campaign with Millwall, where he played a key role in the club’s push for the Championship play-offs.
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The Nigerian made 77 appearances for Millwall, scoring 15 goals and registering 13 assists. His impressive performances also earned him places in the PFA and EFL Championship Teams of the Season.
Brighton sporting director Mike Cave welcomed Azeez to the club, describing him as one of the most exciting attacking talents in the Championship.
“We are delighted to add Femi to the squad. He arrives off the back of an excellent season with Millwall, having played a key role for them as they finished in the playoffs,” Cave said.
“He was one of the most exciting attacking talents in the Championship, and we’re delighted to have finally agreed his transfer, and we now look forward to working with him.”
Azeez’s journey to the Premier League has been unconventional. After spending time in Watford’s youth setup, he moved into non-league football with Northwood before spells at Wealdstone and Hanwell Town.
He subsequently earned a move to Reading in 2019 before joining Millwall in 2024, steadily working his way up the English football pyramid.
The winger has also made a strong start to his international career with Nigeria. On his senior debut in June, Azeez scored both goals in the Super Eagles’ 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe.
Four days later, he provided an assist as Nigeria defeated Jamaica 3-0.
Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio has been convicted of drink-driving in Gran Canaria, Spain, after a court found him to have been driving with an alcohol level more than three times above the legal limit.
A court source confirmed the conviction to AFP on Wednesday, stating that the 23-year-old centre-back was fined €14,400 ($16,700) and had his driving licence suspended for eight months.
The case followed an incident on August 16 and was heard at a trial in San Bartolome de Tirajana, a village in Gran Canaria.
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Asencio, who is from the Canary Islands, was not with Real Madrid’s squad at the time of the incident as he was recovering from a hamstring injury suffered at the end of July.
The conviction comes amid another legal case involving the defender. Asencio is due to face a separate court hearing in Gran Canaria over the alleged non-consensual sharing of a sexual video dating back to 2023.
Spanish media reports say Asencio expects to be cleared in that case if the two women filmed in the video formally forgive him.
Three former Real Madrid reserve players are also on trial over allegations that they recorded and distributed the video. The trial is scheduled for September 3, 4 and 7.
The latest conviction adds to a difficult period for the young Real Madrid defender, who has been dealing with both injury and legal issues off the pitch.
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