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:
Play-off final offers immediate return – but can it really be different this time for Leeds or Southampton?
After just one season away, they’re back in the Premier League, a play-off final victory at Wembley seeing the despair of 12 months ago turn to joy now, optimism fuelled once more that this time it can be different, this time they can remain among the elite and become a sustainable, sustained, top-flight side.
Just one thing to decide: the actual team to which that opening paragraph can be applied. Leeds United or Southampton, either way it still chimes true – two of last year’s fallen trio, one will join another in bouncing straight back up.
Leicester City are already there and, just as last year’s three promoted sides succumbed to an immediate drop, last term’s three relegated names have gone the distance to reclaim their spot among England’s 20 finest. Ipswich Town, of course, are the outlier here. They were in neither the Premier League nor the Championship last year, the story of the Tractor Boys and Kieran McKenna one which is infrequently repeated and impressive in its own right – but also a total one-off in the story of year-to-year promotions and relegations.
The knock-on of that is that only one of Saints or Leeds can earn the right to go straight back up now while the loser will face another arduous second-tier campaign; Leeds ended the regular season in third, one place and three points above their Wembley foes, but Saints triumphed in a final-day meeting between the teams, 2-1 at Elland Road.
Read Karl Matchett’s full analysis ahead of today’s play-off final:
Can it really be different this time for Leeds or Southampton?
Relegated from the Premier League last year, will either one become a ‘yo-yo club’ or can they re-establish themselves among the elite?
Early Southampton team news
Southampton are not thought to have any fresh fitness concerns. Stuart Armstrong and Gavin Bazunu remain out.
Predicted Southampton XI: McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens; Aribo, Downes, Smallbone; Brooks, Armstrong, Fraser.
Early Leeds team news
Patrick Bamford will miss the final having not recovered sufficiently from his knee injury to feature. Sam Byram could be fit to start though, after returning to training ahead of the game.
Predicted Leeds XI: Meslier; Gray, Ampadu, Rodon, Firpo; Gruev, Kamara; Gnonto, Rutter, Summerville; Piroe
How can I watch Leeds v Southampton?
Leeds vs Southampton is due to kick off at 3pm BST on Sunday 26 May at Wembley Stadium.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the Championship play-off final live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with coverage on the latter channel from 2pm BST. Subscribers can stream the game via Sky Go.
If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
Everything you need to know about Leeds v Southampton
A place in the Premier League is on the line as Leeds United and Southampton meet in the Championship play-off final.
The third and fourth-placed finishers came through their semi-finals in relative comfort, each recording strong home second-leg victories after securing 0-0 draws away from home in the first leg, to book their place in this decider.
The pair are seeking to make an immediate return to the top flight having missed out to Leicester and Ipswich in the chase for automatic promotion places.
For which fervent fanbase will it be a famous day at Wembley? Here’s everything you need to know:
Is Leeds v Southampton on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch play-off final
Everything you need to know ahead of the Championship play-off final
Leeds v Southampton - Championship play-off final
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the Championship play-off final between Leeds and Southampton.
Both sides were relegated from the Premier League last season but the winner of ‘football’s richest game’ at Wembley will earn an immediate return to the promised land.
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