The Catalan club lost the local derby to Barcelona on Wednesday night, a defeat that means, for the first time in 26 years, they have been relegated. With just three games of the current campaign to go now, they know that they cannot mathematically beat the drop.
Espanyol had enjoyed the fourth longest continuous spell of any club in La Liga, after Barcelona themselves, Real Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao but that has now come to an end.
The Barcelona-Espanyol rivalry is not just because the two teams come from the same city but has its roots in the Spanish Civil War and the subsequent Franco-era. Barcelona were also regarded as the pro-Catalan and separatist club, whereas Espanyol were the team associated with the right-wing government. For some Barcelona supporters of a nationalist persuasion, there will be satisfaction that it was them who sent their neighbours down.
The win also keeps alive Barcelonas hopes of retaining their league title. They are now just one point behind leaders Real Madrid, although they have played a game more.
The first half at the Nou Camp was scrappy and, although Barcelona had most of the play, it was Espanyol who had the better chances with Didac Vilas shot grazing a post.
The action picked-up in the second half, after teenage star Ansu Fati, who had just come on as a substitute, was sent off for a high tackle, after VAR confirmed the decision. However, it soon became a ten-a-side game after Espanyols Pol Lozano also saw red for a challenge on Gerard Pique.
The decisive moment came shortly afterwards when Antoine Griezmann fed Lionel Messi, The Argentines shot was saved, but the loose ball fell to Luis Surez and he swept it into the net from close range.
In the closing minutes, Messi was denied by the goalkeeper and Espanyol had a header which landed on top of the net. However, in the end it was not enough to save them from defeat and a drop into the second tier of Spanish football.