AFC Eskilstuna fought gallantly to make sure their second stint in the Allsvenskan didn't end after one campaign like the 2017 one did, but ultimately they were once again far too naive and threadbare for their survival bid to have any real hope. Four wins from the 30 league games was never going to be enough, and a season that started so optimistically with a 3-1 win over IFK Goteborg ultimately turned sour on the last day of the season as their 1-0 stoppage time defeat to Falkenbergs meant that one of their relegation rivals would stay up.
It's hard to pinpoint where it all went wrong for the Stockholm club this season, as it was always going to be a tough slog with the resources available to them. There was a time in July, when they went on a three game unbeaten run including a 1-1 draw against champions Djurgardens, when survival seemed ultimately possible. But nine points from the remaining 15 games sealed their fate and the 6-1 home drubbing against Hammarby in the summer seemed to sap a lot of confidence out of them.
The club now have to regroup and think ahead to how they can escape Superettan again. But AFC Eskilstuna will always be a club that teeters on the edge whenever they are in the top flight while being highly competitive in the division below. They fell short again at this attempt, and the question remains whether there will be many more attempts before the resources and interest dries up indefinitely.
