Fulham’s relegation to the Championship was confirmed by an abject 2-0 defeat to Burnley, who guaranteed another season of Premier League football with a clinical victory at Craven Cottage.
Scott Parker’s side needed four wins from their final four games to have any chance of avoiding the drop but were comprehensively beaten as their season-long stay in the top flight ended with three games to spare.
Fulham’s fate was effectively sealed before half-time as Ashley Westwood’s opener and Chris Wood’s emphatic 50th Burnley goal left the hosts needing to score three unanswered goals – the same they had managed in their previous 11 outings.
Fortune favoured Fulham after the interval when goalkeeper Alphonse Areola avoided a straight red card for a clear handball outside the area, but the Cottagers were unable to take advantage of the reprieve, with Andre-Frank Anguissa cannoning the underside of the Burnley bar with the hosts’ best effort of sparking a comeback.
Defeat – Fulham’s 18th of an arduous campaign – sends them straight back to the Championship at the first attempt, while Burnley climb up to 14th with a victory which sees Sean Dyche deliver a sixth successive season of Premier League football.
