Huddersfield relegated: Terriers defeated by Crystal Palace to equal earliest Premier League relegation

Jack de Menezes
Saturday 30 March 2019 13:54 EDT
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Huddersfield Town have equalled the earliest relegation in Premier League history after a 2-0 defeat against Crystal Palace confirmed their place in next season's Championship.

The loss alone was not enough to send Jan Siewert's side down, but the victories for Burnley at Wolves and Southampton against Brighton meant that Huddersfield find themselves 19 points adrift of safety with just 18 points available.

And the Terriers will enter the record books for the wrong reasons after they equalled Derby County in being relegated with six games remaining, with the Rams' 2008 relegation coming on 29 March that year - a day earlier that Huddersfield's departure.

A draw would have kept Huddersfield's faint hopes alive at least until next weekend, but Luka Milivojevic's second-half penalty put them on the brink of relegation and when Patrick van Aanholt doubled the lead, the writing was on the wall for the home side.

Defeat means their future as a top-flight team was settled at the stadium at which it began with a convincing 3-0 victory in August 2017, and they join Derby in becoming only the second Premier League team to be relegated before the end of March.

Burnley’s 2-0 victory over Wolves and Southampton's 1-0 win at Brighton left Huddersfield requiring a point to remain in contention for survival - but they could not manage it.

From 32 league fixtures they have taken only 15 points, leaving them 16 from safety, something even 14th-placed Palace are yet to truly achieve despite goals from Luka Milivojevic and Patrick van Aanholt as they sit eight points above Cardiff City – who play their game in hand on Sunday against Chelsea.

Huddersfield look certain to be joined by Fulham, who sit three points above the Terriers and 16 points adrift of safety. Following their 2-0 loss to Manchester City on Saturday afternoon, Scott Parker’s side can find themselves guaranteed to return to the Championship after just one season in the top flight if lose their next league game against Watford on Tuesday night.

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