Chelsea clinch 3rd place; Everton avoid relegation

Sports Desk, May 19 (EFE).- Chelsea nailed down third place in the Premier League on Thursday with a 1-1 draw against Leicester City, while Everton came from behind to beat Crystal Palace and assure the Toffees of remaining in the top flight for a 69th consecutive season.

While the Blues are just 3 points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur with a game left to play, Chelsea’s goal difference is 18 better than that of Spurs.

Everton improved to 39 points, an advantage of 4 over 18th-place Leeds United, who can still stay up if they beat Brentford on the weekend and Burnley fail to take all 3 points from their final match against Newcastle United.

Still smarting from last weekend’s defeat to Liverpool on penalties in the FA Cup final, Chelsea fell behind in the 6th minute, conceding a goal to the Foxes’ James Maddison.

Marcos Alonso – rumored to be on his way out at the end of the season – equalized for the hosts in the 34th minute with a fine volley.

Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic flubbed a strike from close range in the 62nd minute, while Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel denied Antonio Rüdiger a few minutes later.

On Merseyside, the Toffees trailed 2-0 at the break on goals by Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew and Everton supporters grew nervous at the prospect of the club’s survival in the Premier League depending on the outcome of the season finale against an Arsenal side battling Spurs for fourth place.

But Frank Lampard’s men responded. Michael Keane halved the deficit in the 54th minute and Richarlison made it 2-2 in the 75th.

Five minutes were left in regulation when Dominic Calvert-Lewin redeemed an injury-plagued season with a goal that detonated pandemonium at Goodison Park, as fans streamed onto the pitch.

EFE

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