Ipswich Town’s brief stay in the Premier League came to a bitter end on Saturday as they suffered a 3-0 loss to Newcastle United, sealing their relegation after just one season in England’s top flight.
The defeat at St James’ Park was a microcosm of the struggles that plagued Ipswich throughout the campaign. Kieran McKenna’s team, already struggling, had to play much of the match with 10 men after Ben Johnson was sent off in the 37th minute following two quick yellow cards.
This setback compounded the challenges faced by a side that had already been in the relegation zone for much of the season.
Newcastle’s victory was built on strong individual performances, with Alexander Isak converting a penalty in first-half stoppage time. Jacob Murphy was fouled in the box by Ipswich’s Julio Enciso, and Isak made no mistake from the spot.
The second goal came just after the break when Dan Burn headed home to double Newcastle’s advantage. Ipswich’s fate was sealed in the 80th minute when William Osula added a third goal, ensuring that Ipswich would have no chance of surviving the drop.
With the loss, Ipswich are now 15 points adrift of fourth-bottom West Ham, and with only four games remaining, their relegation is mathematically confirmed. The team’s first season in the Premier League since 2003-2004 will now end with an immediate return to the Championship.
This marks the first time in Premier League history that all three promoted teams have been relegated with as many as four games left in the season. Ipswich, along with Southampton and Leicester, will be returning to the second tier next season after failing to cope with the demands of the top flight.
