Norwich clinch championship title as relegation fight goes to last day

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Norwich secured their second English Championship title in three seasons with a 4-1 win at home to Reading yesterday as the battle to avoid relegation went all the way to the last day of the regular season.

Already assured of one of the two automatic promotion spots to the Premier League, Norwich fell behind to Josh Laurent’s 12th-minute goal.

But they were level by half-time following the first of Kieran Dowell’s two goals.

Dowell put Norwich ahead at

Carrow Road just after the hour mark before further goals from Xavi Quintilla and Teemu Pukki — his 26th of the season — sealed victory.

Second-place Watford’s 2-0 defeat by Brentford would have given Norwich the title in any event, but Daniel Farke’s men seized control of their own destiny to go an unassailable eight points clear at the top with just one game remaining.

Watford had already secured their place alongside the Canaries in the top flight.

Brentford will compete in the play-offs with Bournemouth, Swansea and Barnsley.

At the other end of the table, no side has been relegated.

A goalless draw between Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest in yesterday’s early kick-off meant the Owls would have dropped into the third tier if Derby had managed at least a point against Swansea.

But instead, Wayne Rooney’s side slumped to a 2-1 defeat, their sixth in a row, to set up a key clash between the Rams and Wednesday at Pride Park — a match the visitors must win