Leeds v Southampton LIVE: Championship play-off final result and reaction as Saints dramatically promoted
Leeds 0-1 Southampton: Adam Armstrong’s first-half goal enough to send the Saints back into the Premier League
Southampton won promotion back to the Premier League after beating Leeds 1-0 in the Championship play-off final at Wembley, earning an immediate return to the top tier following relegation last May.
Adam Armstrong was the Southampton matchwinner as his first-half goal was enough to see off a Leeds side that struggled to muster a meaningful response, with substitute Daniel James coming closest after his shot thundered against the bar late in the second half.
Southampton will join Leicester and Ipswich in the Premier League next season, the latter being promoted after a 22-year absence from the top flight, while the Foxes also returned at the first attempt after relegation last year.
Meanwhile, Leeds, whose ownership group contains major-winning golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, suffered more play-off heartache as they failed to go up via the route for a sixth time. After winning only one of their last six regular-season games to miss out on automatic promotion, questions will also be raised about the future of manager Daniel Farke.
Relive the clash with our blog below:
Leeds 0-1 Southampton
79 mins: Adams caught out in defence, heading back towards his own goal and fouls Ampadu as the Wales international pinches the ball off him. Adams gets booked and free-kick beyond the left edge of the box for Leeds to curl in.
The cross is in a great area and headed behind for a corner.
Leeds 0-1 Southampton
77 mins: The pace of James almost sees him in behind the Southampton defence but Stephens slides in to only concede a corner. Southampton have been superb at defending set-pieces this season and they are here again as McCarthy comes out to claim the cross.
Edozie goes down and gets some treatment for cramp. Legit or a time-wasting tactic? Daniel Farke thinks the latter judging by his remonstrations on the sideline with the fourth official.
Leeds 0-1 Southampton
74 mins: Two more Leeds subs as Kamara and Summerville are hooked off, with Jaidon Anthony and Connor Roberts coming on.
Summerville was the Championship Player of the Year, so it’s a huge call by Daniel Farke to hook him but he’s not been a his best today at all.
Leeds 0-1 Southampton
73 mins: This is the sixth time Leeds have been in some form of league play-offs and they have zero victories in their other five attempts. At the moment, they’re set to go 0-6.
Aribo hooks a cross in from the left but it’s far too looped, over the head of Adams and straight into the waiting hands of Meslier.
Leeds 0-1 Southampton
70 mins: Standing ovation for Ryan Fraser as he’s subbed off, with fellow Scottish international Che Adams coming on. It means Armstrong will play from the right, with Adams through the middle.
This is likely Adams’ final game with the Saints as he’s out of contract in the summer. Can he go out with a bang?
Leeds 0-1 Southampton
68 mins: Leeds completely caught out defensively as Edozie can run clean through. Defenders do get back and Edozie cuts inside from the left to try to curl the ball into the far corner with his right foot but it’s curled wide.
Perhaps he should’ve been more positive in trying to burst clear of the defence.
Leeds 0-1 Southampton
Leeds 0-1 Southampton
65 mins: Southampton corner from the left and Smallbone curls it in but it’s too easy for Meslier to claim. He releases Rutter for a quick Leeds counter but Fraser intercepts an attempted through-ball to Summerville.
Daniel Farke turns to his bench as Gnonto is subbed off with Dan James coming on. Pace option for pace option out wide. It hasn’t been Gnonto’s most effective game, in fairness.
Leeds 0-1 Southampton
63 mins: Southampton have managed to regain a semblance of control after something of a Leeds onslaught in that opening 15 minutes. They’re the ones winning free-kicks in the opposition half now, with the latest seeing Smallbone earning a foul for tussling with Ampadu. Good defending from Firpo to clear the danger though.
Leeds 0-1 Southampton
60 mins: Another foul, another Leeds free-kick, although Downes doesn’t like the referee’s decision as he outmuscles Rutter but is penalised.
McCarthy then does superbly to claim the free-kick as it’s lofted in and he throws the ball out quickly to try and set up a Southampton counter, although it eventually comes to nothing.
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