Southampton secured an immediate return to the Premier League after Adam Armstrong was the hero in a 1-0 victory over Leeds United in the Championship play-off final. (More Football News)
Saints' top scorer Armstrong provided the decisive f🌼irst-half strike at Wembley Stad🌱ium on Sunday, with his 24th league goal of the season sending Russell Martin's side straight back into England's top division.
The pair had scored a combined 197 goals this campaign, but just the one finish was enough to settle what was only the third second-ti🌊er play-off final between two sides relegated the previo♊us year.
Southampton join Leicester City and Ipswich Town in winning top-flight promotion, while Leeds –🌞 who hit the crossbar through Daniel James late on – must prepare for at least another campaign in the Championship𒁏.
Daniel Farke's team settled the quicker of the two sideꦦs, who were separated by just three points during the regular season, but with little success in ൲front of goal.
Archie Gray – the youngest Leeds p♎layer to appear at Wembley – drilled just wide early on, while Wilfried Gnont✅o shot straight at Alex McCarthy.
Howeve🎉r, Southampton struck the all-important open💝er after 24 minutes, somewhat against the run of play.
Armstrong beat the offside trap after Ethan Ampadu's mind𓆏less charge out from the back, latching onto Will Smallbone’s throughball before neatly slotting past Illan Meslier.
A shoulder injury forced a distraught David Brooks off soon after but the Saints went close to doubling𒅌 their lead just before the break as Meslier par꧅ried away Armstrong’s drive.
Crysencio Summerville curled just wide from the edge of the box within four minutes of the restart as🐷 Leeds sought an equaliser.
Substitute ꦐJames rattled the crossbar with a right-footed effort six minutes💧 from time and was again denied by McCarthy, as Southampton held on to seal their return back to the big time.
One Armstrong finish, one giant step for Saints
Southampton were appearing in their first-ever play-off final, and they had lost on eight of their 1♔0 previous visits to Wembley, including each of the last five.
However, the Saints stopped the rot with a little help from a promotion expert – boss Martin🍌 achꦛieved five of them as a player, and this was his third to the top flight overall.
Armstrong's cool finish proved the difference; his 24 goals this term isꦛ the most by a Southampton 🍬player in a single season since Rickie Lambert struck 27 in 2011-12 – their last promotion-winning campaign.
It was also the Saints' 100th – and most important – goal of the season; their first time reaching tripl💦e figures since the 2009-10 season under Alan Pardew.
More play-off pain for Leeds
Leeds have now ⛎appeared in t𝕴he English Football League play-offs on six occasions, failing to secure promotion in each of those instances.
The omens did not look good when they fell behind considering not since Cardiff City in 2010 has a team failed ෴to get promoted after opening the scoring in a Championship play-off final.
It is just over 16 years sꦐince their third play-off final disappointment against Doncaster Rovers in League One (May 25, 2008), with Leeds now playing the most such matches without ever gaining promotion🍸.
Fa🐻rke also missed the opportunity to become the third manager – after Steve Bruce (four) and Neil Warnock (three) – to win three Premier League promotions, following his Ch🌃ampionship-winning campaigns of 2018-19 and 2020-21 with Norwich City.
