Norwich City became the first club to be relegated from the Premier Leagueafter a resounding 4-0 defeat by West Ham United, with Michail Antonio scoring all the goals for the visitors in a virtuoso performance at Carrow Road on Sunday (NZ time).
A seventh successive league defeat left Norwich anchored at the bottom on 21 points - 13 adrift of 17th-placed Watford who beat Newcastle United 2-1. There are still three rounds of fixtures to play.
"I'm really disappointed for this and for all our supporters," said Norwich manager Daniel Farke. "We wanted to beat the odds again but when the dust settles the outcome is more or less what was expected."
West Ham, who are 16th, moved six points clear of the relegation zone and are above Watford on goal difference.
Antonio constantly troubled the Norwich defence with his presence in the box and the 30-year-old struck twice in each half to become the first West Ham player to score four in a league game since 1981, doubling his season's tally.
West Ham's Mark Noble pulled the strings in midfield, constantly finding Antonio in dangerous positions, while goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was barely tested and only needed to make two straightforward saves to keep a clean sheet
Meanwhile, champions Liverpool failed to win at home for the first time in the Premier League since January 2019 after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley.
Jay Rodriguez equalised for Burnley in the 69th minute after Andy Robertson had given Liverpool a first-half lead.
Liverpool now have 93 points with three games remaining as they hunt down Manchester City's record total of 100 points from two years ago. Burnley are ninth on 50 points.
Keeper Nick Pope kept Liverpool at bay with a series of good saves, including a brilliant reaction to keep out a powerful close-range effort from Mohamed Salah in the 18th minute.
But Liverpool's domination finally came to fruition in the 34th minute when Fabinho floated in a cross from the left and Andy Robertson met it with a perfectly angled header into the top corner.
Pope was outstanding again to keep out a Sadio Mane drive with the Burnley keeper largely responsible for the Clarets heading in at the break only a goal down.
Liverpool's Roberto Firmino should have had his first league goal at Anfield this season but scuffed his shot against the post in the 49th minute.
But Burnley drew level with a well-struck finish from Rodriguez after James Tarkowski had headed down a deeply hit free-kick.
Sean Dyche's visitors almost grabbed a winner in the 87th minute when substitute Johann Berg Gudmundsson struck the bar.
Meanwhile, Sheffield United's David McGoldrick scored twice as they stunned Chelsea with a 3-0 win at Bramall Lane, loosening the visitors' grip on a Premier League top-four place.
Chelsea's Champions League qualification hopes were badly weakened by the result as they could fall to fifth if Leicester City beat Bournemouth on Monday and Manchester United overcome Southampton a day later.
A fourth straight home win in the league for Chris Wilder's side, however, boosted their hopes of a first-ever appearance in the Europa League as they moved up to sixth on 54 points.
Elsewhere, Raheem Sterling struck a hat-trick as Manchester City crushed Brighton 5-0 at the AmEx Stadium in the Premier League.
Second-placed City had lost their previous three away games but never looked likely to extend that streak against a Brighton side that struggled from the outset.
Sterling opened the scoring in the 21st minute when he collected a nod-down from Gabriel Jesus outside the box and superbly drove it into the bottom corner.
Jesus made it 2-0 just before the break, turning in from close range after Rodri had headed a corner goalwards.
City took total charge in the second half, with Kevin De Bruyne striking the post in the 51st minute and two minutes later Sterling heading in a fine curling cross from Riyad Mahrez.
Bernardo Silva made it four and then Sterling bundled in the fifth in the 81st minute.
Watford striker Troy Deeney eased their relegation fears with two second-half penalties as they beat Newcastle United 2-1 on for their second straight Premier League victory.
Deeney blasted his spot kicks straight down the middle in the 52nd and 82nd minutes to give the home side a win which leaves them 17th on 34 points with three games to play, six ahead of third-bottom Bournemouth who have a game in hand.
Reuters
