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:
Daniel Farke discusses Leeds’ chances in the play-off final
Leeds boss Daniel Farke gives his pre-match thoughts
Leeds v Southampton
Fans are out in force at Wembley. This should be a cracking atmosphere.
How Kieran McKenna guided Ipswich Town to the Premier League’s promised land
Leeds and Southampton were both pipped to the Championship automatic promotion post by the fairytale story of Ipswich Town this season.
The Tractor Boys followed last season’s promotion from League 1 by immediately moving through the Championship to reach the promised land.
Lawrence Ostlere explores exactly how Kieran McKenna and co defied the odds:
How Kieran McKenna guided Ipswich Town to the Premier League’s promised land
The former Manchester United coach has made history at Ipswich, as they completed back-to-back promotions
Southampton fan celebrates with prosthetic leg during play-off win
A Southampton fan celebrated with a prosthetic leg as the club secured a spot in the Championship play-off final. The Saints beat West Brom 3-1 in the second leg of their crunch tie to secure a place at Wembley, following a 0-0 draw at The Hawthorns in the first leg.
During the jubilant scenes at St Mary’s, one fan even took “limbs” to the next level, waving a prosthetic leg in the air.
Southampton boss says fans ‘let themselves down’ in clash with West Brom after Championship playoff win
Southampton manager Russell Martin expressed hope ugly scenes involving rival fans would not tarnish a “beautiful moment” after leading his side to Wembley with a 3-1 win over West Bromwich Albion.
Adam Armstrong’s brace following Will Smallbone’s opener propelled Saints into the Championship play-off final against Leeds United on May 26.
Home fans spilled on to the pitch to celebrate moving a step closer to an immediate Premier League return but trouble flared when some clashed with visiting supporters in front of the away end. Martin condemned the crowd disorder on a raucous evening at St Mary’s as he turns his attention to clinching promotion at the national stadium.
“I haven’t seen it but I think it’s unnecessary and I’m pretty sure it will be a real, real minority,” said Martin. “Our fans were amazing tonight. For those who did do that, if it tarnishes the night we’ve had and the win we’ve had and getting to Wembley in any way then they’ve let themselves down.”
Southampton fans in clash with West Brom supporters after Championship playoff win
Rishi Sunak was in attendance as Saints secured a final berth at Wembley to face Leeds
I’m kind of a big deal! Actor Will Ferrell becomes minority investor in Leeds
Will Ferrell is the latest celebrity to become a minority investor in Leeds, the PA news agency understands.
Hollywood actor Ferrell, 56, has bought a stake in Leeds owners 49ers Enterprises, joining the likes of Russell Crowe, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
Three-time major winner Spieth confirmed he and fellow American Thomas bought minority shares in the Championship promotion chasers last summer.
Ferrell is co-owner of Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC and revealed he was a big fan of English football during a trip to watch Manchester City beat Aston Villa 3-1 last season.
Leeds v Southampton team news
The line-ups are pretty much as we expected although Southampton have listed Ryan Fraser as part of the midfield three, with Joe Aribo further forward but they could easily be switched.
With Patrick Bamford out injured, Joel Piroe leads the line for Leeds.
Leeds XI: Meslier; Gray, Ampadu, Rodon, Firpo; Gruev, Kamara; Gnonto, Rutter, Summerville; Piroe
Southampton XI: McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens; Fraser, Downes, Smallbone; Aribo, Armstrong, Brooks
Leeds v Southampton team news
The teams are out for today’s Wembley final:
Ruthless Leeds near to ending play-off curse as Daniel Farke’s reforged side close in on promotion
Perhaps it only took Leeds United 37 years to master the play-offs. The oldest curse in the Football League’s end-of-season exercise in delight and dejection may only have another 10 days left to run. Leeds, beaten in the second tier’s inaugural final in 1987, invariably unsuccessful in such knockout ties ever since, will be marching on together down Wembley Way after a display of blistering brilliance.
Their promotion specialist of a manager, Daniel Farke, subjected his former club Norwich to a harrowing night as Leeds transformed their form and the mood. They lost their way and their automatic play-off place in the last six weeks of the season. And then, suddenly, came a display to support the theory they had it in them to be the best side in the Championship this season. They outwitted Norwich even before they outsprinted and outran them. Opposing fans are fond of chanting that Leeds are falling apart: Elland Road reverberated to it, the Leeds supporters launching into a mocking chorus as Norwich collapsed and capitulated, three goals down by half-time, perhaps fortunate to only lose by four.
Raucous and rousing, Elland Road was rocking, almost 40,000 white scarves swirling in the Yorkshire night. After the drabness of the first-leg stalemate at Carrow Road came an evening infused with energy and electricity. Leeds played like men possessed, Norwich like a group trapped in the eye of a storm. It felt all the stranger that Leeds had lost their last two home matches. There was no danger of a hat-trick. Instead, the treble may belong to Farke, on course to take a team into the Premier League for the third time in his last three seasons at this level. The first two were with Norwich; now the German ended their chances of a top-flight return.
Read Richard Jolly’s full report after Leeds’s semi-final second-leg demolition of Norwich:
Ruthless Leeds near to ending play-off curse as they close in on promotion
Leeds 4-0 Norwich: Farke’s new faces starred in a dominant procession at Elland Road that sends the Whites to Wembley.
Paris Hilton sends Leeds good luck video ahead of Championship play-off final
If you had American socialite Paris Hilton sending Leeds a good luck video ahead of the Championship play-off final on your pre-match bingo card then, erm... Congrats I guess? And can I have next week’s lottery numbers?
For those of us more on the baffled end of the spectrum, here’s The Simple Life star wishing her beloved boys in white all the best...
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