Burnley relegated from Premier League, Luton soon to follow
Burnley have officially been relegated from the Premier League following a defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
The Clarets entered the weekend needing to beat Spurs in order to have any chance of possible safety. Not only did Vincent Kompany’s side have to win, but they also needed Nottingham Forest to lose later in the day as well.
Nevertheless, it was not meant to be for the Lancashire club, as they will feature in the Championship next season.
Burnley actually took an early lead against their north London opponents on Saturday. Jacob Bruun Larsen smashed a shot past Guglielmo Vicario to give his team the first-half advantage.
Spurs, however, fought back and netted twice to secure Burnley’s unfortunate place in the table.
Burnley ultimately could not recover from early-season issues
After the loss, Kompany acknowledged the disappointment, but also claimed to bring Burnley quickly back to the top flight. “Today the Premier League is over but tomorrow we start day one of doing everything we can to get back to the Premier League,” the Clarets coach told BBC Sport.
“The game has gone a bit like others have gone for us this season. We created chances but the one where we missed the final pass. I’m not here sulking and feeling sorry for us but if you take every game, every season as a learning experience, this is step we need to get into our game.”
Burnley entered the current campaign with high hopes of remaining in the Premier League. After all, the Clarets dominated the Championship last season and brought an exciting squad and manager to the top flight.
Nevertheless, things quickly went south for Kompany and company. Burnley only managed to win one of their first 13 matches back in the Premier League. While they eventually went on a decent run near the end of the season, the Clarets could not bounce back from the rough start.
Luton dangerously close to relegation after recent defeat
Burnley now joins Sheffield United as relegated clubs from the 2023/24 Premier League season. Along with these teams, Luton Town looks almost certain to join the duo back in the Championship. The Hatters also suffered a defeat on Saturday, as West Ham thumped them 3-1 on the day.
The loss keeps Luton three points behind Forest with one match remaining for the Hatters. Even if the Bedfordshire side can get level with Forest, they have a massive 12-goal difference to make up. This makes it nearly impossible for Luton to stave off relegation.
After the club’s defeat, Luton manager Rob Edwards was seen shedding tears as he led his players towards the fans. “I’m an emotional person and walking over to our supporters and seeing their reaction brought me to tears,” stated the coach.
“The love and affection they have given us, which goes both ways and is unique in football these days. I feel devastated, I didn’t want to let anyone down and I feel responsible. I thanked the players and staff, they’ve given me the best 18 months of my life.”
Luton had become a popular team among neutral Premier League fans. Edwards deployed an attractive style of play, as the club netted 50 goals in their 37 league matches. This particular figure is far more than any other club in the relegation zone.
Assuming Luton is soon sent down, all three recently promoted clubs will have been sent right back down to the Championship. It would be the first time in 26 years that all three recently promoted sides were relegated after one season in the Premier League.
Photo credit: IMAGO / Paul Marriott