STOKE: 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 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 continued, while Roy Hodgson's Palace will celebrate another year of Premier League football.
Stoke are second from the bottom of the table, three points from safety, with one game remaining. With fourth-bottom Swansea and third-bottom Southampton playing each other at midweek, it is impossible for Stoke to collect enough points to avoid slipping into the Championship.
