*Fantastic Awoniyi maintains EPL status, Aribo, Onuachu drop to second-tier
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Just as it happened last term, Nigerian international, Alex Iwobi and his Everton side staged yet another final day Great Escape from relegation from the Premier League.
It was however not so for Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi, who sadly
dropped down to the second-tier English Championship.
Even before this final day relegation drama, two other Super Eagles players, Joe Aribo and Paul Onuachu had confirmed their status in the lower division as their club, Southampton got rooted to the bottom of the English Premier League table.
Everton, who started Iwobi, pipped Bournemouth 1-0 to stay up in the English topflight on 36 points from 38 matches.
Leicester City also got the home win they desperately needed against West Ham, but they also needed Everton to drop points so they could leapfrog them to safety.
The 2-1 win meant they finished on 31 points, but it was two points shy of safety.
Iheanacho started the game, while Ndidi could not fully recover from a hamstring injury that dogged him season and so was not listed for the match.
Leeds, who fell 4-1 at home to Spurs, were the other team to join bottom club Southampton as they finished on 31 points.
Elsewhere, Taiwo Awoniyi scored his 10th goal in his first season in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest to draw 1-1 at Crystal Palace.
The striker opened scoring for Forest on 31 minutes.
The home team will eventually draw level in the second half.
He got his 10 goals plus an assist in 17 Premier League starts.
In this month alone, Awoniyi scored six goals to ensure his club stayed up in the top flight in England.
The 26-year-old striker finished as his club’s top scorer this campaign despite missing several weeks due to injury.
