Sunderland became the first team to be relegated from the Premier League this season after Joshua King’s late goal consigned David Moyes’ men to a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.
Hull’s 0-0 draw at Southampton looked to have provided the hosts with a stay of execution, but King rounded off a rapid Bournemouth break to send Sunderland into the Championship.
After 10 years in the Premier League and a series of close shaves in recent seasons, Sunderland drop out of the top flight with fans chanting angrily against Moyes and owner Ellis Short at the full-time whistle.
King went closest to breaking the deadlock in an end-to-end first half, but the Norway international saw his floated effort clip the crossbar and post when it looked like curling in.
Jermain Defoe missed a series of chances for Sunderland as his dry spell continued and, despite their increasingly desperate efforts, the hosts could not find the goal that would have prolonged their slim hopes of survival.
