Premier League relegation battle LIVE: Results and reaction as Everton survive

Everton have won just once in 10 Premier League matches.

They have lost their last three league games at Goodison Park and could suffer a club record-extending 11th home league defeat in a season.

Leicester boss Dean Smith has said his message to his players ahead of their all-or-nothing game with West Ham on Sunday will simply be “just win”.

The Foxes have to win and hope that Everton cannot beat Bournemouth if they are to avoid relegation to the Championship.

Smith, who was parachuted in on an eight-game SOS mission following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers, says that what happens at the King Power Stadium against the Hammers is the only thing the Foxes need to focus on.

Leicester have won just two of their last 16 Premier League games, drawing four and losing 10, although both of those victories came at home.

Meanwhile, West Ham have won four of their last five games in all competitions, losing the other one.

Gary O’Neil is delighted with the progress made by his Bournemouth team. He believes the squad is heading in the right direction and that improvements are ongoing.

“I think we’ve made big improvements, we’ve slowly crept up possession-wise, not that possession is everything but we’ve become better with the ball definitely,” he explained when assessing Bournemouth’s season.

“We’ve been flexible without the ball, which I like. With the ball, we’re fairly consistent with our shape and our structure but without the ball, I’ve asked the lads to be flexible, sometimes within the game as well, and that’s been one of our big strengths.

“In terms of moving the team forward, there’s a lot. Obviously, we’ve conceded too many goals this year, we’ve conceded too many set plays, albeit if you look at the set-piece record since we made the changes, I think we sit around 11th in the league.

“Improvement is never a straight line, I saw progression when we were on that seven-game run after the World Cup, I still saw progression in the understanding and application of the players, it’s not always going to be a steady incline and there are going to be dips.

“Even in the Crystal Palace game, which was a really disappointing performance from my point of view, there were things we tried to put in place that we wouldn’t have if we weren’t safe.

“The lads being so successful has allowed us to try and put in place adjustments early but it doesn’t mean that it’s going to be perfect right away, we’ll keep improving it. I’m looking forward to seeing where this group can be by 12th August next season but also where it is the month after that and the month after that.

“I’m looking forward to it all really, the ups, the downs and seeing how well myself, my staff and my players can respond to everything that is asked of you in the Premier League because it is the best league in the world.”

Sean Dyche hopes that the values and messages he’s been giving the Everton players since joining the club will come useful this afternoon as the Toffees strive for Premier League survival.

“We’ve been speaking more about our values, what we stand for, and how we want to approach the game,” said the manager, “They’re the ideas behind it, the feeling behind it, the energy behind the group, and taking the task on.

“Like I say, it’s one of those things we’ve been trying to drum into the players since we got here. We’ve seen good signs of it at times. We’ve got to remember the good work that’s been done, but then use it to our advantage.”

Everton manager Sean Dyche has tried to keep things consistent this week as the club head into arguably the biggest game in their history.

The Toffees need to match the results of Leicester and Leeds, who are both inside the relegation zone, in order to extend their stay in the top flight to a 70th season.

There have been no rousing speeches or trying to artificially boost player morale ahead of the visit of Bournemouth as Dyche does not believe that would not make as much difference as reinforcing the same messages he has been giving since taking over from Frank Lampard in late January.

Tottenham have won just one of their last seven Premier League matches, drawing one and losing five, including each of the last two.

Spurs are yet to win away against any of the sides currently in the bottom four, losing 4-1 at Leicester and drawing 3-3 with Southampton and 1-1 with Everton.

Leeds United must win to have any hope of staying in the Premier League. The Whites side are without a victory in eight league games, drawing two and losing six.

Can Sam Allardyce lead them to victory this afternoon?

Leeds United’s last clean sheet against Spurs came in a 1-0 Premier League victory at Elland Road in February 2000. Another clean sheet today would put them in a great position to avoid the drop but, of course, they also have to score.

West Ham boss David Moyes has admitted he has been close to the sack several times this season.

The Scot has faced a number of so-called ‘must-win’ games throughout a turbulent Premier League campaign, but his side have delivered on each occasion.

The picture looks a lot brighter now, however, with West Ham safe from relegation and reaching an historic European final, their first in 47 years, in the Europa Conference League.