Wolverhampton Wanderers’ relegation from the Premier League was confirmed this evening after West Ham United secured a goalless draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The result left the West Midlands club stranded 16 points adrift of safety with just five fixtures remaining, making their demotion mathematically certain.
Rob Edwards’ side had already suffered a damaging 3-0 loss at Leeds United on Saturday, leaving them needing other results to go their way.
The drop brings to an end eight consecutive seasons in English football’s top tier for the Molineux outfit.
Wolves will return to the Championship for the first time since the 2017/18 campaign, when they won promotion under Nuno Espirito Santo with a squad brimming with Portuguese talent.
The campaign has been nothing short of catastrophic for the Black Country club, who endured the worst start to a season in Premier League history.
Wolves accumulated a mere two points from their opening 18 matches, becoming the first top-flight side to achieve such a woeful record.
Their winless run stretched to 19 games before finally securing three points, setting an unwanted Premier League benchmark in the process.
Wolves will return to the Championship for the first time since the 2017/18 campaign
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Vitor Pereira, who now manages Nottingham Forest, was dismissed in November having overseen just two points from 11 fixtures.
The Portuguese coach departed with the club rooted to the foot of the table, leaving his successor with a monumental task.
Protests against the ownership had become a regular occurrence at Molineux during this turbulent period, with executive chairman Jeff Shi stepping down in December.
Rob Edwards arrived from Middlesbrough in November to inherit a squad languishing at the bottom on just two points.
West Ham United secured a goalless draw against Crystal Palace
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The 43-year-old, who previously played for the club, endured a torrid start with seven successive defeats before stemming the tide.
A hard-fought 1-1 draw away to Manchester United in December marked the turning point, providing the first signs of improvement under his stewardship.
The new manager gradually restored some unity between the team and supporters, with running statistics and intensity levels both improving.
Wolves then enjoyed a remarkable purple patch, stunning three of the division’s top five sides within a fortnight during February and March.
They held league leaders Arsenal to a late draw before recording back-to-back victories against local rivals Aston Villa and defending champions Liverpool at Molineux.
Edwards has already turned his attention to rebuilding for the Championship, stressing the significance of summer recruitment.
“We need to make sure we have a squad that’s very capable in the Championship,” the manager said following the Leeds defeat. “The recruitment is so important; the summer is so important.”
He acknowledged departures are inevitable whilst emphasising the need for players committed to the cause.
“People who want to be here at Wolves and represent the club, people who we trust to work extremely hard who can do it Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday to Tuesday,” Edwards explained.
The club has already begun preparations, with planning having started some time ago according to the manager.
January saw significant business completed with the Championship in mind, including Jorgen Strand Larsen’s £48m departure to Crystal Palace and the arrivals of Angel Gomes and Adam Armstrong.
