Burnley have been relegated from the Premier League with four games to go after defeat at Turf Moor to Manchester City.
Scott Parker’s side needed a point against City to stave off relegation at least until the weekend, starting the day 13 points from safety with five games to go.
But they were condemned to the Championship thanks to Erling Haaland’s strike inside the first five minutes, and will join rock-bottom side Wolves – who had their demotion confirmed after a 3-0 loss to Leeds on Monday – in the second tier next season.
The Clarets sit 19th in the table, 11 points off 18th-placed Tottenham but most importantly 13 points behind 17th-placed West Ham with four games remaining, making safety now a mathematical impossibility.
Burnley have not won a league match since February and not won at Turf Moor for six months, with their 13-game winless run at home the second-worst in their history in the division.
But they showed some fight on Wednesday evening, limiting City’s chances and having chances of their own to equalise against Pep Guardiola’s side, who assumed the mantle of new league leaders with victory.
But there was an atmosphere of resignation around Turf Moor and plenty of empty seats as the Clarets’ fate was sealed, although those fans who did make the trip applauded the fight on show at the full-time whistle.
It is a third relegation to the Championship in five seasons for English football’s current yo-yo club, who secured automatic promotion last season with an impressive 100-point haul.
They have won only four games this term, drawn eight and lost 22, having conceded 68 goals thus far – the most of any team in the top-flight throughout this campaign.
