The first club to be relegated from the Premier League this season has been confirmed on Saturday afternoon, and they also pick up an unwanted record.
They went into today’s game having not picked up a single point in their five games since the league resumed, and are rock bottom of the division.
Anything other than a win sealed an immediate return to the Championship, a league they stormed to win the title with 94 points from 46 games.
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Yes, that team we’re talking about is Norwich City, who become the first team to be relegated to the Championship five times as they fail to beat West Ham United.
The teams to have four relegations to their name are Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Crystal Palace.
It would also give their unwelcome status as they continue to be a yo-yo club, but head coach Daniel Farke says he couldn’t have asked his players for any more.
Farke said before the game about the inevitable relegation: “I’m struggling to accuse them or blame them (the players), I feel more sorry for them.
“Of course we are disappointed with the outcome but the lads tried everything which is possible for their individual quality level.
“I’m a bit disappointed with a few mistakes or not using chances or not being effective enough, but I’m far away from blaming my players. I have to back them, they will develop and learn from this season.”
The head coach stuck with the same starting eleven that started the Canaries’s 2-1 defeat at Watford last Tuesday.
Norwich XI: Krul, Aarons, Godfrey, Klose, Lewis, Vrancic, Tettey, Buendía, Stiepermann, Hernandez, Pukki.
Substitutes: Rupp, Cantwell, Trybull, Drmic, McLean, Duda, McGovern, Idah, Martin.
They came up against a West Ham team who made just the one change from their 1-0 home defeat to Burnley in midweek, Mark Noble coming in as Andriy Yarmolenko drops to the bench.
West Ham XI: Fabianski, Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble, Rice, Soucek, Bowen, Antonio, Fornals.
Substitutes: Balbuena, Yarmolenko, Lanzini, Wilshere, Haller, Masuaku, Ajeti, Randolph, Johnson.
It took just 11 minutes for David Moyes’ side to take the lead, when unmarked Michail Antonio found the back of the net from close range after meeting Issa Diop’s flicked-on header.
West Ham have the lead early on! A tidy back post volley from Antonio!
Disaster for Norwich… ?
But the Hammers can smell survival now! pic.twitter.com/GVlgiIyYUM
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) July 11, 2020
Where would West Ham be without Antonio? He was there again to double the Hammers’ lead before the half time whistle.
He was able to get to the ball ahead of two defenders around him before nodding it past Tim Krul for his second of the match.
Air Antonio! ✈️
A great header from the Hammers frontman!
5⃣ goal involvements in his last 4⃣ games ? pic.twitter.com/4yrdjGgckx
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) July 11, 2020
They went into the break at 2-0, but it wasn’t long after the restart that Antonio completed his hat-trick after getting on the rebound which came after Tim Krul produced a save from Mark Noble’s ball over the top which caught out Ben Godfrey.
Hat-trick ✅
Michail Antonio is causing havoc to the Norwich backline! ?
A first career hat-trick for the Hammers frontman… pic.twitter.com/ELUTV87Ayv
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) July 11, 2020
Antonio then added a fourth to his tally with a cute finish at the near post to finish the game off!
⚽️ FOUR ⚽️
Everything Michail Antonio touches turns to goals! ✨ pic.twitter.com/UJ9yaP2iX6
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) July 11, 2020
And that was it, the first club to be relegated from the Premier League this season was confirmed.
The end of the road for Norwich.
The Canaries are officially relegated to the Championship after today’s 4-0 defeat to West Ham… pic.twitter.com/Nef2adDG3j
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) July 11, 2020
You really have to feel for player Bosnian Mario Vrancic, who has faced relegation for the fifth time, with five different clubs:
• 2019/20 – Norwich (Premier League)
• 2016/17 – Darmstadt (Bundesliga)
• 2014/15 – Paderborn (Bundesliga)
• 2009/10 – Rot Weiss Ahlen (second tier Germany)
• 2006/07 – Mainz (Bundesliga, 1 appearance final matchday)
Norwich midfielder Alex Tettey speaking to BT Sport: “It’s very hard for me to talk, that was a tough game for us. We came out trying to be positive but when we don’t do what we have to do on the pitch we are punished.
“For all those four goals we can’t defend like that, it’s very very tough. I’ve been saying this the whole season – at the end it doesn’t end up being a positive game and it’s tough to get yourselves going mentally.
“This club has not been a club that buys well established players, if you have a group and a collective that you’re trying to create you need to be consistent.
“We’ve been in games sometimes but we don’t have the mentality or character to get those wins. It’s been a tough journey, it’s a young group but they will now have that experience.”
Rob Green, a former Norwich and England goalkeeper, said on BBC Radio 5 Live at the full time whistle: “You look at sticking to your principles, but the lack of being able to adapt over the course of the season.
“They have lost every game they have gone behind in this season. They haven’t found ways to win games. They play nice football.
“Everyone remembers them playing through the press so well against Manchester City. They tried to do the same next week against Burnley and were 2-0 down inside 15 minutes.”
Another former Canaries player, Dion Dublin, said on BBC Radio 5 Live: He (Teemu Pukki) is a player who will score goals if he is managed in a way we haven’t seen in the last few games. He has been on the bench – what has happened there I don’t know.
I haven’t seen grit and determination from Norwich in a long time. Eight defeats in eight games, and this when they have been fighting for their life.
They beat City because they worked extremely hard. Winning and playing well and being proud of your performance is incredibly hard work. I didn’t see enough of that from Norwich players.
West Ham forward Michail Antonio speaking to BT Sport: “It’s an amazing feeling, when I scored the first two I could see they were quite open so it was a great opportunity. This is my first match ball and hopefully I can get some more. It’s been free flowing attacking football since we came back, the gaffer told me to wait in the box and I’m just pouncing on those opportunities.
“It eases pressure on us massively, the pressure is now on Bournemouth and Villa and we have a good goal difference over those sides. We just need to concentrate on ourselves now and not let this drop.
“All these matches coming up now are cup finals, everyone is a six pointer for us. We believe we’re going to be safe. We’ve got to focus on ourselves and carry on doing the right things.”
Fans reacted as Norwich become the first club to be relegated from the Premier League this season confirmed…
Thanks for the memories x pic.twitter.com/vhbhxKSZmc
— ♦️♣️ (@kotfxo90) July 11, 2020
See you next season ? down with the villa #PUSB
— Callum (@GraciousGustavo) July 11, 2020
— ?????????? (@urghbusani) July 11, 2020
I don’t like punching people when they’re down, but I have seen West Ham play all season and the fact you conceded 4 to Michail Antonio well I am sorry but this is fully deserved. No 2 ways about it. Sorry but these are merely facts
— Fake Carlton (@_CarltonCole9) July 11, 2020
— Klima ???? (@CarefreeKlima) July 11, 2020
“DaNiEl FaRkE iS mAnAgEr oF tHe YeAr” though ?
Nice knowing you, lads! ? pic.twitter.com/ukjBTAdsRW
— Blades Mad (@Blades_Mad) July 11, 2020
Half of those boys want out!!!
— Jon Mac (@jon_macd) July 11, 2020
Players should be embarrassed, what even was that?
— Jaaack (@Jackncfc10) July 11, 2020
social distancing from premier league football I see
— daz (@odetodaz) July 11, 2020
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