Match ends, Crystal Palace 1, Watford 0.

Watford have been relegated from the Premier League after Wilfried Zaha's first-half penalty secured a deserved victory for Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Defeat by Burnley last week had left the Hornets 12 points adrift of safety with four games remaining and Palace sent their former manager Roy Hodgson's side straight back down to the Championship with a dominant display.
The Eagles controlled the contest from the outset and went ahead when Zaha confidently swept his 31st-minute spot-kick past Ben Foster after Hassane Kamara had used his arm to block Michael Olise's back-post header.
Watford never looked like scoring and their misery was compounded when Kamara, already booked for that handball, was dismissed when his push on Olise produced a second yellow card.
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It is the second time Watford have dropped out of the top flight in the past three seasons. The manager-less Hornets also went went down on the final day of the 2019-20 campaign before securing an immediate return under Xisco Munoz.
The identity of the coach who will be tasked with emulating Munoz's achievement is still unknown, however, with Hodgson set to retire from top-level management when his contract at Vicarage Road expires at the end of the season.
Relegation represents a bitter final chapter in 74-year-old Hodgson's time as a manager, which has included spells at 17 clubs - including Palace - in eight countries, plus four international sides, during a 46-year career.
Palace's win - which takes them to within five points of their highest-ever tally in a Premier League season - confirmed what many Watford fans had already accepted after last week's loss to fellow strugglers Burnley.
While they briefly boosted their survival hopes with victory at Southampton in March, a fourth Premier League relegation was effectively sealed with a run of five straight defeats before the trip to Selhurst.

Watford never really got going as Palace took control early on. France Under-21 winger Olise, one of five players recalled by Eagles boss Patrick Vieira, created the home side's first chance after five minutes when Marc Guehi headed his teasing cross over the bar.
Olise was also involved in the first-half's key moment when his header from Eberechi Eze's left-wing cross struck Watford full-back Kamara's outstretched arm.
Graham Scott pointed to the spot, and while Kamara claimed Olise had pushed him in the back, a VAR review upheld the referee's decision, allowing Zaha to add to the double he netted in Palace's 4-1 win over Watford in February.
While Watford needed to score twice, it was Palace who looked like grabbing the game's second goal with Odsonne Edouard almost netting a superb solo goal just after the hour, dancing his way through the visitors' defence before hitting the post from a tight angle.
With Kamara sent off on 68 minutes, Palace cruised to victory as the game - and Watford's stay in the division - ended with a whimper.
Line-ups
Crystal Palace
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Butland
- 17Clyne
- 16Andersen
- 6GuéhiSubstituted forMitchellat 73'minutes
- 2Ward
- 23GallagherSubstituted forSchluppat 63'minutes
- 12HughesBooked at 64mins
- 10Eze
- 7OliseBooked at 90mins
- 22Édouard
- 11ZahaSubstituted forMatetaat 83'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Mitchell
- 4Milivojevic
- 5Tomkins
- 8Kouyaté
- 9J Ayew
- 14Mateta
- 15Schlupp
- 19Matthews
- 20Benteke
Watford
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Foster
- 21Femenía
- 15Cathcart
- 22SamirSubstituted forTroost-Ekongat 78'minutes
- 14KamaraBooked at 68mins
- 19Sissoko
- 39Kayembe
- 8CleverleySubstituted forSemaat 52'minutes
- 23Sarr
- 7KingBooked at 84mins
- 25DennisSubstituted forMasinaat 73'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Ngakia
- 4Etebo
- 5Troost-Ekong
- 11Masina
- 12Sema
- 16Gosling
- 26Bachmann
- 27Kabasele
- 28Kalu
- Referee:
- Graham Scott
- Attendance:
- 24,622
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home68%
- Away32%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away1
- Corners
- Home8
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away18
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Crystal Palace 1, Watford 0.
Booking
Michael Olise (Crystal Palace) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Michael Olise (Crystal Palace).
Post update
Ken Sema (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt saved. Jeffrey Schlupp (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Will Hughes.
Post update
Will Hughes (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Ismaïla Sarr (Watford).
Post update
Foul by Jeffrey Schlupp (Crystal Palace).
Post update
Ken Sema (Watford) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) header from very close range is close, but misses to the left.
Post update
Attempt saved. Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Michael Olise with a cross.
Booking
Joshua King (Watford) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Joshua King (Watford).
Substitution
Substitution, Crystal Palace. Jean-Philippe Mateta replaces Wilfried Zaha.
Post update
Attempt missed. Craig Cathcart (Watford) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Kiko Femenía with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Watford. Conceded by Tyrick Mitchell.
Post update
Foul by Jeffrey Schlupp (Crystal Palace).
Post update
Edo Kayembe (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Player of the match
EzeEberechi Eze
Crystal Palace
Avg
Squad number10Player nameEze
Average rating8.12
Squad number15Player nameSchlupp
Average rating7.91
Squad number23Player nameGallagher
Average rating7.84
Squad number7Player nameOlise
Average rating7.84
Squad number22Player nameÉdouard
Average rating7.81
Squad number11Player nameZaha
Average rating7.81
Squad number16Player nameAndersen
Average rating7.79
Squad number3Player nameMitchell
Average rating7.75
Squad number2Player nameWard
Average rating7.59
Squad number12Player nameHughes
Average rating7.57
Squad number6Player nameGuéhi
Average rating7.49
Squad number14Player nameMateta
Average rating7.43
Squad number17Player nameClyne
Average rating7.42
Squad number1Player nameButland
Average rating7.29
Watford
Avg
Squad number1Player nameFoster
Average rating5.77
Squad number12Player nameSema
Average rating5.49
Squad number15Player nameCathcart
Average rating3.48
Squad number8Player nameCleverley
Average rating3.42
Squad number11Player nameMasina
Average rating3.40
Squad number21Player nameKiko Femenía
Average rating3.38
Squad number25Player nameDennis
Average rating3.35
Squad number19Player nameSissoko
Average rating3.33
Squad number5Player nameTroost-Ekong
Average rating3.30
Squad number22Player nameSamir
Average rating3.21
Squad number14Player nameKamara
Average rating3.19
Squad number7Player nameKing
Average rating3.11
Squad number39Player nameKayembe
Average rating3.04
Squad number23Player nameSarr
Average rating2.99

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Comments
Join the conversation
A number of journalists thought you would be where Everton are. Glad you have proved them wrong.
Vieira has done wonders at Palace and has the respect of his players.
YNWA ❤ ❤
Enjoy your retirement Roy and thank you.
I am happy also with the footie we are playing now, just giving credit to our past manager.
With 18 managers in ten years it must be quite tough for their fans in being able to get an affinity with their team and understanding what it is they are trying to do as a club other than yoyo between leagues for the benefit of the owners presumably.
We clearly need to heed some lessons from the likes of Brighton, Leeds, West Ham, Wolves and yourselves …. All of whom have proven they can produce consistent performances at this level.
Hopefully we will get another chance in two or three years time.
Watford fan