Stoke Relegated After 2-1 Loss To Crystal Palace, End 10 Years EPL Stay

Stoke City were relegated from the Premier League on Saturday after their dismal season culminated in them giving up a first-half lead against Crystal Palace before succumbing to a deserved 2-1 defeat.

The Potters had to win to give themselves the faintest hope of maintaining their 10-year stay in the top tier of the English game but Paul Lambert’s ailing side, who have not won in 13 league matches, went down to a late Patrick van Aanholt goal.

Xherdan Shaqiri had given Stoke hope with a deflected 43rd- minute free kick, only for James McArthur to equalise midway through the second half after a slick counter-attack.

Then, as Palace piled on the pressure, Van Aanholt struck four minutes from time as Stoke’s worst run in the top flight for 34 years sealed their fate while Roy Hodgson’s resurgent Palace could celebrate another year of Premier League football.

A crestfallen Ryan Shawcross, Stoke’s captain whose late mistake led to Van Aanholt’s goal, admitted his team had not been good enough all season.