Sunderland earn promotion to Premier League in enthralling playoff final

Sunderland became the third and final club to secure promotion to the Premier League last Saturday, beating fellow hopefuls Sheffield United in an exhilarating Wembley showpiece.

It was a day to forget for Sheffield, who were denied promotion despite finishing 14 points above Sunderland in the league stage. The Blades swept aside Bristol City in the playoff semi-final with an aggregate score of 6-0, and came into the final as clear favourites despite a poor end to the season.

Sunderland had also lost momentum towards the end of their Championship campaign, failing to win or draw in all five of their final matches. Their playoff story was marked by equal jeopardy. Drawing 2-2 on aggregate after 90 minutes in their second leg clash with Coventry City, the Black Cats advanced via a Daniel Ballard winner in the 122^nd minute – repeating the last-gasp heroics of Eliezer Mayenda which saw them take a 2-1 lead in the first leg.

The Championship playoff final has become increasingly referred to as the most valuable game in football, with the victorious club set to receive not only a minimum of £170m in prize money, but also the opportunity to compete in the Premier League, one of the most lucrative competitions in world football.

The match was destined for extra time, but Sunderland were hungry for even more late drama

It appeared for much of the game on Saturday 24th May that Sheffield United would be the side to return to the top flight after a year’s absence. Getting the nod to play in red and white over the usually similarly-attired Sunderland, the Blades opened the scoring in the 25^th minute. Dangerman Gustavo Hamer raced away from a defensive corner and found Tyrese Campbell charging through the centre. The former Stoke City man was permitted time and space to chip into the net over Sunderland’s Anthony Patterson in goal, making good on his side’s early dominance.

Sheffield seemed to go two in front when Harrison Burrows’ powerful effort from outside the box soared unsighted past Patterson. Sunderland protested vehemently, and VAR overturned the goal due to an offside infringement on the goalkeeper’s line of vision by Vini Souza.

Sunderland continued to look vulnerable throughout the game, and struggled to create any meaningful opportunities to alleviate the pressure. The contest could have been decided by Sheffield substitute Andre Brooks in the 69^th minute, who stole in behind Sunderland’s last man Dennis Cirkin but failed to best the goalkeeper from close range.

With no prior warning, Sunderland at last made their lethal move seven minutes later. Roma loanee Enzo Le Fee started off a precise back-to-front move from halfway, delicately finding Patrick Roberts in his stride. The former Manchester City youngster played an excellent ball through to Mayenda, who made no mistake to fire in high at the near post – scoring with only Sunderland’s second shot on target.

The match was destined for extra time, but Sunderland were hungry for even more late drama in their fascinating playoff run. With seconds to go in the 96^th minute, substitute Tom Watson, who already has one foot out of the door in Wearside after securing a £10m summer move to Brighton, stepped up to provide the ultimate parting gift. In the biggest moment of his young career, the 19-year-old converted an inch-perfect swerving strike from outside the box to seize promotion for his boyhood club.

The dramatic winning goal spelt elation for Sunderland, who have endured significant hardship and a lengthy spell in England’s third tier since Premier League relegation in 2017. Captain Luke O’Nien was naturally at the centre of celebrations: forced off with a dislocated shoulder after a collision early in the match, the veteran centre back lifted the trophy to finalise a breath-taking personal journey from non-league football to the top flight over the last ten years.

The next challenge for now-legendary Sunderland head coach Régis Le Bris will be to assemble a squad capable of competing for survival

Defeat at Wembley continues Sheffield United’s notorious playoff curse, which has denied them promotion on ten consecutive occasions since 1925. Losing out on an automatic place in the top flight after a poor end to the season will only compound Saturday’s disappointment, but should also provide crucial motivation ahead of The Blades’ sophomore Championship campaign.

The next challenge for now-legendary Sunderland head coach Régis Le Bris will be to assemble a squad capable of competing for survival next season, after achieving promotion with a set of players who do not have a single Premier League appearance between them. The playoff’s eye-boggling cash injection will cover some costs, but as Ipswich and Luton Town have recently proved, the dearth in spending power generated by several years away from the big time invariably proves tough to surmount.

Could Le Bris do the impossible all over again next year? It’s not going to be easy, but for once, it seems as though The Black Cats have plenty of good luck on their side.