Luton Town will join Burnley and Sheffield United back in the Championship next season after their relegation from the Premier League was confirmed on the final day – with the three combining to set a record low total of points.
The Hatters’ 4-2 defeat by Fulham saw them finish six points adrift of Nottingham Forest, who beat Burnley 2-1.
That means all three of last season’s promoted clubs have suffered an immediate return to the second tier for only the second time in Premier League history.
Rob Edwards’ side have won plenty of fans with their gutsy displays throughout the campaign but the hard facts are that the three teams going down ultimately were not good enough.
While Luton were left on the brink of relegation following their defeat at West Ham last weekend, Burnley’s fate was sealed after they lost at Tottenham.
Sheffield United, eight points adrift at the bottom of the table, learned their fate in April and return to the Championship after conceding a record 104 Premier League goals.
“The gap is getting bigger and bigger,” former Brighton striker Glenn Murray said on Final Score.
On the three promoted clubs going straight back down, he added: “The Premier League is such a dominant league, and I think it will happen more and more often.”