Southampton become first side relegated from Europe's top five leagues

It marks the end of one of the most disappointing campaigns in Premier League history. Southampton confirmed their return to the second tier on Sunday, just a year after earning promotion, in what has been a catastrophic season for the English club.

With just two wins in 31 league matches, their fate was sealed after they failed to win against Tottenham, and Wolves secured all three points elsewhere. The visit to Spurs merely confirmed what had already been inevitable - Southampton's relegation was only a matter of time.

Just two wins

Southampton are the first side across Europe's top five leagues to be mathematically relegated. They drop with seven rounds of fixtures still to go, and currently sit 21 points from safety, having produced one of the worst seasons on record.

Ivan Juric's team have only managed two Premier League victories all season — against Everton on matchday 10 and Ipswich Town on matchday 24. Every other outing has ended in either a draw or defeat.

Even the penultimate side sit far ahead of Southampton, as Ipswich and Leicester — both also facing the drop — battle it out just above them. Remarkably, those two, along with Southampton, are the three newly promoted teams, raising the very real prospect of a second successive season in which all promoted clubs are immediately relegated.

Last year, Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United all suffered the same fate.

Worst team of the Premier League era?

Southampton are now threatening to break an unwanted record. The current worst tally in a Premier League season belongs to Derby County, who managed just 11 points in the 2007/08 campaign.

With seven matches remaining, the Saints have a chance to avoid that ignominy — they need only two more points to surpass Derby's total. But unless their form improves dramatically, Southampton are on course to be remembered as one of the worst sides in Premier League history.