Southampton defeated Leeds in the Championship play-off final, securing an immediate return to the Premier League and the accompanying £140 million windfall.
Following an 11-year stint in the top flight, Southampton’s previous season ended in relegation. Despite finishing one place and three points behind Leeds in fourth, it is Southampton who will join Leicester and Ipswich in the Premier League.
The decisive goal came from Adam Armstrong, who netted with a clinical finish after a setup by Will Smallbone. Leeds had a chance to equalize late in the match, with substitute Dan James hitting the crossbar, but Southampton, under the management of Russell Martin, held firm through nearly 12 minutes of added time.
Leeds’ loss means another season in the Championship, continuing their unfortunate streak of three consecutive finals at Wembley without scoring, and extending their play-off campaign record to six unsuccessful attempts.
This year’s play-off finals saw all three lower-ranked teams secure promotion, while higher-ranked teams failed to score in each final.
Incredible. pic.twitter.com/8TOCLUNWMk
— Southam(P)ton FC (@SouthamptonFC) May 27, 2024
Both Southampton and Leeds entered the final off the back of impressive semi-final second-leg victories. Leeds thrashed Norwich 4-0, and Southampton secured a 3-1 win over West Bromwich Albion.
The match was tightly contested for the first 25 minutes until Armstrong’s 24th goal of a prolific season gave Southampton the lead. Chances were limited thereafter, with Leeds’ Crysencio Summerville missing a shot and Southampton’s Samuel Edozie wasting an opportunity on the break.
Leeds’ Dan James came close twice to sending the match into extra time, but Alex McCarthy’s crucial save and the crossbar kept Southampton ahead.
SAINTS are BACK 🆙 pic.twitter.com/EY9IVAEfzP
— Southam(P)ton FC (@SouthamptonFC) May 26, 2024
The win marks Russell Martin’s first promotion as a manager. Martin, who was previously dismissed as a player by Leeds boss Daniel Farke at Norwich, took over at Southampton last summer. His tenure began shakily with the sale of skipper James Ward-Prowse and a four-match losing streak in September, which included a 5-0 defeat at Sunderland.
However, a victory over Leeds on September 30th sparked a 25-game unbeaten run, propelling Southampton into automatic promotion contention. Although they faltered in April with three consecutive losses, they recovered in the play-offs, progressing after a goalless draw and a subsequent victory over West Brom.
In the final, Southampton did enough to overcome Leeds and secure their return to the Premier League.