SportsWatford Relegated After 1-0 Loss To Palace

Watford Relegated After 1-0 Loss To Palace

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May 07, (THEWILL) – The relegation of Watford from the English Premier League to the Championship was confirmed on Saturday afternoon, when they lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace.

Only a win could have kept the Hornets’ slim survival hopes alive, and they failed to get one, with Wilfried Zaha’s first-half penalty sealing Roy Hodgson’s first Premier League relegation at the hands of the club where he spent nearly four happy years.

The game ultimately began after a three-minute wait while ground personnel sought to clear the pitch of red and blue balloons used in a pre-match spectacle.

Palace had a strong start, and inside five minutes, Marc Guehi’s back post header from a Michael Olise cross beat Ben Foster to the net. With Olise rushing forward and shooting over, and Zaha hitting tamely into Foster’s grasp following an exquisite build-up in the area, the hosts’ early control continued.

When Palace were granted a penalty just before the half-hour mark, the pressure paid off. Olise met Eberechi Eze’s cross at the back post, but his header was stopped by Hassane Kamara’s flailing arms.

After a lengthy VAR review, the penalty judgement remained, and Zaha made no mistake in slotting the ball into the corner.

Watford responded by pounding the Palace box with a run of corners, but they were unable to break the Palace defence.

Instead, Palace came close to ending the half with a set-piece goal. Guehi was right in the heart of things again, prompting Foster to make a save with a powerful header. The veteran then had to be on his toes to keep Olise out, who had been snuck in by Zaha.

Joshua King squandered a fantastic chance for the Hornets early in the second half, finishing meekly following an outstanding surge forward.

Odsonne Edouard exploded into the scene on the hour, defeating many guys before seeing his shot ricochet off Foster and into the post.

If there were any remaining fans hopeful about Watford avoiding relegation, Kamara erased all with just over 20 minutes left when he was sent off for a second yellow card after fouling long-time tormentor Olise.

The game’s sting was taken away by the red card. Watford accepted their fate after being reduced to ten men, with Palace only occasionally threatening to expand their lead.

Substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta came closest, looping a header towards the goal that Foster easily stopped.

Watford has now been relegated from the Premier League four times. Everton will be their next opponent at home. With the win, Palace climbed to ninth place, and their next match is against Aston Villa.

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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

Jude Obafemi, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

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