Ipswich Town have been relegated back to the Championship after just one season in the Premier League. They needed to win at Newcastle to stand any chance of prolonging their stay, but it wasn’t to be.
The Tractor Boys’ task was made more difficult when defender Ben Johnson was sent off before half-time for a pair of yellow cards. Newcastle then won a penalty – awarded following a VAR check – with Alexander Isak converting the spot-kick to break the deadlock.
Newcastle doubled their lead early in the second half, with Dan Burn heading home a Kieran Trippier delivery. The 10 men couldn’t summon a miraculous comeback, though, and Will Osula scored a late third.
Ipswich’s relegation ensures all three promoted teams have gone straight back down, as was also the case last season. Leicester’s fate was sealed by a defeat against Liverpool last time out, while Southampton have been long gone, and Ipswich’s relegation means it’s the earliest all three relegation spots have been decided in Premier League history.
The Saints – who have Simon Rusk in interim charge after Ivan Juric’s short-lived tenure – went into this weekend’s fixtures needing one more point to move clear of Derby’s record for the fewest points in a Premier League season. A point at West Ham last weekend took them level with the 2007-08 Rams, and they were moments from passing the tally only for Ryan Sessegnon to score a late Fulham winner.
“(We are) in a project that has been an incredible journey – the project here is to try and build a sustainable Premier League football club,” Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna said ahead of the trip to the north-east. “We have taken some incredible steps to do that quicker than anyone would have believed.
“It looks like we are going to take a step back this year, but that is often how progression needs to happen. We are all focused on making the best of the next few games and then tackling the next challenge, whatever it will be next season. It is my full 100 per cent focus.”
The relegated teams still all have games to play before the season is up. The final finishing positions will matter for prize money reasons alone, but there’s also a chance to influence things at the other end of the table.
While Ipswich’s final four games are against teams in the bottom half – including fellow bottom-three side Leicester – it’s a different story for the others. Leicester themselves still have a trip to Champions League chasers Nottingham Forest, while Southampton host a Manchester City side in a similar position to Forest on May 10.
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