Fulham have been relegated from the Premier League as a result of their 2-0 defeat at the hands of Burnley on Monday evening.
The 18th-placed Cottagers went into the match against 17th-placed Burnley knowing that a defeat would condemn them to an immediate return to the Championship next season, while even a draw would leaving them needing to win all three of their remaining games and hope that either Burnley, Southampton or Brighton & Hove Albion lose their final three.
However, first-half goals from Ashley Westwood and Chris Wood saw Burnley run out 2-0 winners at Craven Cottage this evening, confirming their survival and relegating Fulham in the process.
The result leaves Scott Parker's side 18th in the table on 27 points - 10 points from safety with only three games remaining.
Fulham's relegation comes just a day after West Bromwich Albion's immediate return to the second tier was confirmed following their loss to Arsenal on Sunday.
Sheffield United will also be playing Championship football next season, meaning that all three relegation spots have now been wrapped up with three games to spare for the first time in Premier League history.
Fulham, who have now been either relegated from the Premier League or promoted to the top flight in each of the last four seasons, end their stay in the division with games against Southampton, Manchester United and Newcastle United. body check tags ::
