West Ham relegated despite beating Leeds as 14-year Premier League stay ends

West Ham United’s 14-year stay in the Premier League came to an end on the final day of the season, despite a win over Leeds at the London Stadium proving meaningless as the club were relegated to the Championship. The victory, which would have given hope to the home fans, ultimately counted for nothing as results elsewhere condemned David Moyes’ side to the drop. Jacob Steinberg, speaking on the Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast, analysed the failures behind the club’s decline, the future of the London Stadium and what comes next in the Championship. The relegation ends a run of top-flight football that began in 2012, a period that included a move to the Olympic Stadium and a Europa Conference League triumph. Now West Ham face an uncertain summer, with key players expected to depart and the task of rebuilding for a promotion push. The final day also saw Tottenham survive after narrowly beating Everton, while Aston Villa finished fourth after spoiling Pep Guardiola’s farewell at Manchester City. Sunderland qualified for the Europa League, Bournemouth and Brighton made Europe, and there were emotional send-offs for Pep, Bernardo Silva and John Stones, sparking a heated debate on the podcast about the rise of in-game guards of honour. But for West Ham, the focus is on the Championship and the challenges ahead.