Stoke relegated from Premier League after Palace defeat

LONDON: Stoke City were relegated from the English Premier League after crashing to a 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace.

Paul Lambert’s side are second bottom, three points from safety, with only one game remaining.

With fourth-bottom Swansea and third-bottom Southampton playing each other in midweek, it is impossible for Stoke to collect enough points to avoid slipping into the English Championship.

Stoke have spent 10 seasons in the Premier League, but a run of 13 games without a victory ensured that streak will come to an end. Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland

(pic) was in tears at the final whistle and City fans were just as emotional as the realisation of their team’s rel- egation sank in.

Hundreds left the bet365 stadium in the closing minutes before those that remained sang “City til I die” in a defiant rallying cry.

The blame for Stoke’s predicament lies jointly with Lambert and Mark Hughes, who was sacked in January after a wretched run culminated with an embarrassing FA Cup third-round defeat against fourth tier Coventry.

The Potters won their first match with Lambert in charge against Huddersfield, but that was a false dawn as they remained deep in trouble for the rest of the season.

Hughes could suffer the indignity of having a role in two relegations in one season as his Southampton side are in severe trouble themselves.