This archive report was first published on 10 May 2021.
West Brom Relegated from Premier League ¶
West Bromwich Albion's hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premier League were dashed on May 9, 2021, after a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in London.
Sam Allardyce's men knew they had to beat the Gunners to stay in the top flight, but a first-half goal from Emile Smith-Rowe and a stunning strike from Nicolas Pepe in the second half sealed their fate.
Matheus Pereira's fine individual effort in the second half was not enough to inspire a comeback, and Willian's late freekick sealed West Brom's relegation to the Championship for the 2021-22 season.
It is the fifth time the Baggies have dropped out of the Premier League since its inception in 1992, and marks the first time Allardyce has suffered relegation from the top flight in his managerial career.
West Brom will join Sheffield United in dropping down to the Championship for the 2021-22 season, and their relegation is a major blow to Allardyce's men.
"I'll probably wake up tomorrow and realise the situation, bitterly disappointed," Allardyce said post-game.
"I'm not saying we should have avoided relegation but we should have been closer, into the last three games. The creating of chances has been there but the conversion has not. And ultimately that has made a difference," he added.
West Brom's relegation is a significant setback for the club, and their hopes of pulling off a remarkable survival took a major blow on Sunday evening.
Next season will be West Brom's third in four where they will be plying their trade in the Championship, having previously spent eight years in the top flight.
And as for Allardyce's future at the club, he remained non-committal, saying: "It's too early to consider or talk about for me. It's about getting over the disappointment and we'll talk when the time is right."
