Sunderland Seal Premier League Return With Dramatic Play-Off Final Win Over Sheffield United

Sunderland have secured promotion to the Premier League after eight years in the wilderness, thanks to a dramatic 2-1 victory over Sheffield United in Saturday’s Championship play-off final at Wembley.

Trailing to Tyrese Campbell’s first-half strike, Regis Le Bris’ men staged a stunning comeback. Eliezer Mayenda equalised late in the second half before Tommy Watson fired home a stoppage-time winner to send the Black Cats back to the top flight.

The thrilling finale capped off the richest match in world football, with promotion estimated to be worth around £200 million ($270 million) in increased revenue.

The win marks a remarkable turnaround for Sunderland, who had suffered five consecutive losses before the play-offs and were languishing in League One as recently as 2022. Their road to Wembley included a dramatic extra-time header from Dan Ballard in the semi-final second leg against Coventry, securing a 3-2 aggregate win with seconds to spare.

It’s a landmark moment for 49-year-old French manager Regis Le Bris, who joined the club last year following relegation from Ligue 1 with Lorient.

The result also sets up a highly anticipated Premier League reunion with arch-rivals Newcastle next season.

For Sheffield United, the heartbreak continues. The Blades remain winless at Wembley for a century and have now suffered four defeats in Championship play-off finals, making it 10 failed attempts to secure promotion via the play-offs—despite finishing the regular season 14 points ahead of Sunderland.