2018/19 season: Huddersfield 1st to be relegated from EPL

Huddersfield have been relegated from the Premier League in record-equalling fashion after losing to Crystal Palace.

The sorry Terriers have crashed out of the top flight with six games of the season left to play – match Derby’s record as being the worst ever in the Prem era.

Southampton and Burnley’s victories this weekend sealed the Terries’ fate as the Saints beat Brighton 1-0 at the Amex Stadium, meanwhile Burnley defeated Wolves 2-0 at home.

Huddersfield wave goodbye to the Premier League after two seasons spent in the English top-tier.

The Terriers become only the second team in Premier League history to be relegated before April.

But badge of dishonour lies with Derby, who in their dismal season 11 years ago managed to collect just 11 points – while the Terries have already copped 14 points.

Siewart’s strugglers have known for a long time that it was simply a matter of when not if their return to the Championship was confirmed.

But they were within touching distance of prolonging their stay for at least one more week until Juninho Bacuna’s reckless lunge on Wilfried Zaha gave Milivojevic the chance to finish them off.

Michy Batshuayi had an early chance to calm Palace nerves when his quick feet allowed him to work his way into a shooting position but his effort was thwarted by a crucial last-ditch block from Erik Durm.

After that it was the visitors who looked the more likely to break the deadlock when Vicente Guaita was forced into a flying save by Chris Lowe’s 26th minute header.

The Spanish keeper was quickly back into action, throwing himself across goal to tip Lowe’s first-time effort around the post for a corner.

And when Alex Pritchard was then allowed to turn and shoot narrowly wide from the edge of the era, anxious Eagles fans were not slow to let their team know that they expected a lot more from them.

Their complaints seemed to have the desired effect when good interplay between Batshuayi and Jeffrey Schlupp gave Andros Townsend a shooting opportunity which Ben Hamer did well to keep out low down.

But sloppy Palace were soon back on the defensive when Patrick van Aanholt’s loose pass presented Huddersfield striker Karlan Grant with a clear run on goal.

But the young rookie completely bottled his big chance, attempting to chip Guaita then watching in embarrassment as his effort went out for a throw.

Yet the let-off still wasn’t enough to spare Roy Hodgson and his players from being booed off as they trudged towards the dressing-room at half-time.

It didn’t help that Zaha appeared to be operating in second gear after sitting out the recent international break with a hamstring injury.

He finally came to life to set up van Aanholt for a curling 55th minute shot which Hamer clawed to safety at full stretch.

Townsend and Zaha wasted further opportunities to apply the coup de grace to the terrible Terriers.

But at least skipper Milivojevic held his nerve to fire Palace eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Yet it wasn’t until the 88th minute that Huddersfuield’s goose was well and truly cooked when van Aanholt latched onto Zaha’s pass to fire home.

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