Aston Villa have ensured their Premier League survival by draw 1-1 with West Ham on the final day of the season.
Villa had only earned promotion back to the Premier League last season following a three-year absence with victory over Derby County in the lucrative Championship play-off final at Wembley.
Dean Smith's side struggled back in the top-flight despite a £130million summer transfer outlay amid injuries sustained by key players such as John McGinn, club-record signing Wesley and Tom Heaton, and had looked likely to make an instant return to the second tier.
However, key recent home wins over Crystal Palace and Arsenal sandwiched between a hard-fought draw at Everton - in which they were denied another victory only in the 87th minute - breathed new life into their previously flagging survival bid.
That run of seven points from three matches - featuring some crucial goals from Egyptian forward Trezeguet - meant Villa exited the bottom three for the first time since February and entered the final day of the season with their fate in their own hands.
