Norwich City will head back to the Championship next season after their 2-0 loss at Aston Villa - combined with Burnley's late comeback win over Watford - cemented their relegation from the Premier League.
Defeat at Villa Park, where manager Dean Smith coached for three years before he was fired, left Norwich 13 points back of safety with four Premier League games remaining.
4 - Norwich have been relegated in each of their last four Premier League seasons (13-14, 15-16, 19-20, 21-22); becoming the second side in English league history to suffer relegation in four consecutive top-flight seasons after Crystal Palace (92-93, 94-95, 97-98, 04-05). Yo-Yo. https://t.co/UhW8WXUMbC
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 30, 2022
Despite trailing deep into their match, Norwich's relegation appeared as if it was going to be delayed with Burnley trailing Watford. However, Burnley scored twice in the final seven minutes to beat Watford, leaving the Canaries with no mathematical chance of getting out of the relegation zone.
Norwich City struggled mightily during their return to the top flight, losing six games and going 10 matches without a victory to open the 2021-22 campaign.
Daniel Farke was replaced by Smith in November, but the coaching change did little to revive Norwich's season. Norwich won their first game with Smith in charge but suffered a damaging eight-game winless streak. The club also went on a six-game losing skid from February to March that all but sealed their demise.
Norwich have finished atop the Championship in each of the last two seasons they were relegated to England's second division.
Watford and Everton occupy the other two relegation spots heading into the final month of the season.
