Everton extend 69-year top-flight stay with nervy win over Cherries

Everton avoided relegation on a gripping final day of the season as midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure’s stunning strike earned them a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth on Sunday to extend their unbroken 69-year stay in the English top flight.

Sean Dyche’s side came into Sunday’s contest with their fate in their own hands, knowing victory at Goodison Park would be enough to keep them in the Premier League, but the nervy hosts struggled to break down their opponents in a tense first half.

With supporters getting desperate, and results not going their way elsewhere, Doucoure stepped up with what proved to be the crucial winner in the 57th minute to lift the roof off the famous old stadium.