Fulham were relegated from the Premier League on Saturday afternoon following a 4-1 defeat to Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.

Stoke went ahead six minutes before the break when Peter Odemwingie tapped in the opener from close range, before a 54th-minute strike from Marko Arnautovic made it 2-0 to the hosts.

Oussama Assaidi put Stoke further ahead with a simple finish at the end of a counter-attack, but Fulham managed to pull a goal back with 10 minutes remaining when Kieran Richardson fired past Asmir Begovic.

However, Jonathan Walters had the final say as he came off the bench to score Stoke's fourth on a disappointing day for the visitors.

Below, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the key talking points from the match.

Match statistics

Stoke
Shots: 23
On target: 8
Possession: 64%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 9

Fulham
Shots: 10
On target: 2
Possession: 36%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 14

Was the result fair?

The statistics don't lie today. Stoke fully deserved to collect all three points in emphatic fashion. The hosts dominated possession from the first whistle, and they were barely troubled before Richardson scored with Fulham's first shot on target in the 80th minute. On a miserable day for Fulham fans, they will have no complaints about the result at the Britannia.

Stoke's performance

The Potters produced some great football as they continued their bid for a place in the top half of the table under Mark Hughes. Despite missing Ryan Shawcross, the defence looked calm throughout as they dealt with a fairly uninspiring Fulham attack with apparent ease. They were excellent going forward as Assaidi impressed alongside Arnautovic and Stephen Ireland, who was allowed to pull the strings from a central position.

Fulham's performance

Felix Magath's side needed to be on top of their game, but they just didn't turn up. Of course the damage has already been done this season, but this was a disappointing way to confirm relegation. They didn't apply enough pressure when Stoke were in possession, which allowed the hosts to dictate the tempo. Darren Bent wasn't given enough support, while they seemed to lack creativity for long periods.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Oussama Assaidi: The winger, who is on loan from Liverpool, was given a standing ovation when he was substituted late on, and he fully deserved that reaction to his display. Assaidi looked full of confidence as he took defenders on, while also being brave enough to come inside and link with Stoke's midfielders. A goal was the perfect way to complete an impressive performance.

Biggest gaffe

Magath gets this honour today. Despite not appearing to be injured, Lewis Holtby was removed after just 33 minute to make way for Ashkan Dejagah. The German may not have made a difference, but the decision to take off such a creative player surely did not help Fulham's cause.

Referee performance

It was a pretty quiet day at the office for Chris Foy, who only had to use his yellow card twice in a game which passed without controversy.

What next?

Stoke: The Potters finish the season by making the trip to face West Bromwich Albion next Sunday.

Fulham: Magath's side will end their stay in the top-flight of English football by hosting Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.