Premier League
LeicesterLeicester City1BournemouthAFC Bournemouth1

Leicester City 1-1 Bournemouth

By Patrick JenningsBBC Sport
Junior Stanislas
Stanislas' goal was Bournemouth's 100th in the Premier League

Bournemouth secured their highest top-flight finish with a draw at Leicester on the final day of the 2016-17 Premier League season.

Junior Stanislas put the Cherries ahead after just 59 seconds, smashing in a rebound from Ryan Fraser's shot at the end of Lys Mousset's driving run.

Leicester started poorly but were transformed after the break and Jamie Vardy poked in Islam Slimani's knockdown early in the second half.

Vardy had a goal incorrectly ruled out for offside nine minutes later as he stabbed in after Slimani's blocked shot, while Slimani headed badly wide when found in space by a Riyad Mahrez free-kick with five minutes to play.

The Cherries - who finished 16th in their first Premier League campaign last year - end the season in ninth, while 2015-16 champions Leicester move down to 12th.

Shakespeare's final act?

When Leicester were presented with the Premier League trophy in May last year, Claudio Ranieri told the Leicester fans: "Keep dreaming, why wake up?"

After the Italian was sacked as manager in February with the club one point above the relegation zone, he said his "dream died".

Craig Shakespeare was widely welcomed as he came in to steady the ship, and he won his first six games in charge.

No timeframe on Leicester job - Shakespeare

The Foxes rallied to eventual defeat by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals and mid-table safety on the domestic front - but will Sunday's match turn out to be Shakespeare's last?

It was a sluggish showing that only belatedly sparked into life. Coupled with Thursday's 6-1 thrashing by Spurs, the season's end will have done little to help his cause with the club's owners.

Premier League mid-table

Forward steps for Bournemouth

Meanwhile, Bournemouth fans will be reflecting on another year spent exceeding expectations.

In just their second season in England's top flight, Eddie Howe's entertaining and enterprising side scored more than 13 of their Premier League rivals - only the top five and seventh-placed Everton scored more.

There was a 4-3 win over Liverpool, a hugely entertaining 3-3 draw with Arsenal, and a dramatic 6-3 defeat by the Toffees on the way.

Joshua King - left out of the squad at Leicester because of an ankle injury - top scored with 16 goals, while the ninth-place finish will pocket the club £22.8m in prize money.

Will the Cherries improve once again next season?

Howe hails Premier League progress

The £6m header

Leicester's 12th place will earn them £17.1m in Premier League prize money, but had Vardy's goal counted - or Slimani not headed horribly wide - they might well have taken almost £6m more.

Victory over Bournemouth would have seen them climb above the south coast club and into ninth themselves, pocketing an extra £5.7m.

Second season syndrome - the stats

  • Leicester finished on 44 points, the lowest total of a reigning English top-flight champion since Liverpool in 1902 (42 points).
  • Bournemouth won 46 points, four more than they recorded last season.
  • After winning his first five Premier League games in charge, Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare guided his side to just two victories the final eight matches.
  • Vardy scored eight goals in 13 Premier League games under Shakespeare, compared with five in 22 under Ranieri this season.

Man of the match - Dan Gosling (Bournemouth)

Dan Gosling of Bournemouth and Riyad Mahrez of Leicester
Bournemouth midfielder Gosling was strong in the tackle, tidy in his passing and was unlucky not to score. His stinging first-half drive was tipped brilliantly over by Kasper Schmeichel.

'My future? It's out of my hands'

Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare: "For the benefit of everybody it'll be sooner rather than later.

"When I get the phone call, then I'll know. I don't know when that'll be. It's out of my hands. There is no set date, it was just said until the end of the season.

"The owners are very good business people and I'm sure they appreciate you, me and everybody is waiting and I'm sure we'll get a decision soon."

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe: "What is next? We'll wait and see. I feel there is a lot of improvement to come.

"There will be a long summer where recruitment of course will be important, but at the minute let's enjoy what the players have achieved this season and give them plenty of credit.

"I think we've become more streetwise to the Premier League. It's a challenge for us to improve."

Line-ups

Leicester

Formation 4-4-2

  • 1Schmeichel
  • 17SimpsonBooked at 57mins
  • 29BenalouaneBooked at 45minsSubstituted forAmarteyat 59'minutes
  • 28Fuchs
  • 3ChilwellBooked at 90mins
  • 26MahrezBooked at 84mins
  • 10King
  • 25Ndidi
  • 11AlbrightonSubstituted forGrayat 73'minutes
  • 9Vardy
  • 19Slimani

Substitutes

  • 7Musa
  • 13Amartey
  • 14Kapustka
  • 20Okazaki
  • 21Zieler
  • 22Gray
  • 27Wasilewski

Bournemouth

Formation 4-4-1-1

  • 21Allsop
  • 15A Smith
  • 2FrancisBooked at 75mins
  • 3S Cook
  • 11Daniels
  • 19Stanislas
  • 4Gosling
  • 6Surman
  • 7PughSubstituted forIbeat 63'minutes
  • 24FraserSubstituted forWorthingtonat 74'minutes
  • 31MoussetSubstituted forAfobeat 62'minutes

Substitutes

  • 9Afobe
  • 12Ramsdale
  • 14B Smith
  • 33Ibe
  • 38Cargill
  • 44Surridge
  • 58Worthington
Referee:
Lee Mason
Attendance:
32,000

Match Stats

Home TeamLeicesterAway TeamBournemouth
Possession
Home49%
Away51%
Shots
Home20
Away10
Shots on Target
Home4
Away4
Corners
Home9
Away1
Fouls
Home11
Away10

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Leicester City 1, Bournemouth 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Leicester City 1, Bournemouth 1.

  3. Booking

    Ben Chilwell (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Ben Chilwell (Leicester City).

  5. Post update

    Dan Gosling (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  6. Post update

    Offside, Leicester City. Demarai Gray tries a through ball, but Islam Slimani is caught offside.

  7. Post update

    Foul by Charlie Daniels (Bournemouth).

  8. Post update

    Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  9. Post update

    Steve Cook (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  10. Post update

    Foul by Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).

  11. Post update

    Attempt missed. Islam Slimani (Leicester City) header from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez with a cross following a set piece situation.

  12. Post update

    Foul by Jordon Ibe (Bournemouth).

  13. Post update

    Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  14. Booking

    Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  15. Post update

    Dan Gosling (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  16. Post update

    Foul by Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City).

  17. Post update

    Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Adam Smith.

  18. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Ben Chilwell (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

  19. Post update

    Offside, Bournemouth. Dan Gosling tries a through ball, but Benik Afobe is caught offside.

  20. Post update

    Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Simon Francis.

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