Sunderland have been promoted back to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 as the Black Cats fought back to beat Sheffield United 2-1 in a dramatic Championship playoff final at Wembley on Saturday.
The Blades took the lead through Tyrese Campbell and had several chances to build on it as Chris Wilder’s side were dominant.
However, Sunderland struck twice late on as Eliezer Mayenda equalized with less than 15 minutes to go and then substitute Tom Watson curled home in stoppage time to send the Black Cats back to the Premier League as their fans were in dreamland.
19-year-old Watson has already signed for Brighton and will be joining them this summer, so he knew he would be in the Premier League next season. But his final action for Sunderland has sent them to the big time too.
Sunderland were the underdogs in this final but manager Regis Le Bris, in his first year managing in England, has pulled off an almighty upset to get them into the Premier League as they have so many young players and expectations were low going into this season. Now they can dream of the Premier League and the Tyne-Wear Derby is back as their fierce rivalry with Newcastle United is renewed.
Sunderland join Leeds United and Burnley in gaining promotion to the Premier League for the 2025-26 season.
Sunderland are promoted to the Premier League! 💥⬆️ pic.twitter.com/6Msx2MHl92
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 24, 2025
Exciting Sunderland youngsters will have no fear
This team was the youngest in second-tier history to play in the playoffs and they won it. Nobody expected this. They’ve only been in the Championship for three seasons as most of this team were playing together in League One a few years ago. Sunderland limped towards the finish line at the end of the season (they lost their last five games of the regular season) as they pretty much occupied fourth place in the Championship table all season long. That meant they had plenty of time to prepare for the playoffs and whatever ground work Regis Le Bris did to prepare them for these high-pressure games worked superbly. Sunderland beat Coventry City in dramatic fashion in the 122nd minute of their semifinal second leg to reach the final and they turned the final around with 15 minutes to go to win it in stoppage time again. That tells you that they have absolutely no fear and that will hold them in good stead in the Premier League next season. They will obviously need to strengthen massively and we know how hard it has been for the newly-promoted to survive in recent seasons. But Sunderland are a huge club and will approach the Premier League in a pragmatic manner, hanging in games and then using their talented youngsters to cause upsets. From Jobe Bellingham and Mayenda to local lads Anthony Patterson and Dan Neil, Sunderland have invested in youth and it has got them back to the big time. It will be intriguing to see how much further these youngsters will go, especially if some experienced players like Sunderland fan Jordan Henderson (who watched the final at Wembley) are added to the mix. This was a very unexpected promotion and it feels like Sunderland have the potential to stick around in the top-flight if they can add a few key experienced players this summer to support their talented crop of youngsters.
THAT winning goal from pitchside! 🤯🤩#EFLPlayOffs | #StepUp pic.twitter.com/mKtSPR0WrJ
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) May 24, 2025
SUNDERLAND AFC ARE PREMIER LEAGUE!!!! 😍😍😍 pic.twitter.com/XNetaXn8Og
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) May 24, 2025
Sheffield United vs Sunderland score: 1-2
Campbell 25'; Mayenda 76', Watson 90+5'
Watson slots home! — Sheffield United 1-2 Sunderland
Kieffer Moore with an awful pass on the halfway line and the ball drops to substitute Tom Watson. He runs towards goal and slots home a perfectly placed low finish. Sunderland lead with just a few minutes of stoppage time to go! Surely they’re heading back to the Premier League!
Mayenda smashes home! — Sheffield United 1-1 Sunderland
Out of absolutely nothing Sunderland are level! Roberts plays in Mayenda and he smashes home at the near post. With less than 15 minutes to go it’s 1-1 and game on. The Sunderland fans go wild and Luke O’Nien, with his arm in a sling, is leading the celebrations as he charges down the touchline to celebrate with Mayenda. Can Sunderland go on and win this now!? Sheffield United will be kicking themselves. This has been so easy for them up until that equalizer. They should be out of sight!
Brooks so close to a second!
Dennis Cirkin makes a mess of a bouncing ball and hesitates as the last man. Substitute Andre Brooks nips in but his shot is saved well by Patterson. Nervous moment for Sunderland.
Really good chance on the counter for the Blades
Sheffield United again launch a brilliant counter but Kieffer Moore’s shot is blocked with Campbell waiting for the pass. Sunderland eventually clear and they got back really well. Just over 35 minutes to go.
Half time: Sheffield United 1-0 Sunderland
The Blades are 45 minutes away from a return straight back to the Premier League and they’ve been really good. Sunderland are yet to really get going but the good news for them is they’re only 1-0 down. Can the Black Cats get Jobe Bellingham on the ball more in the second half?
VAR review after Burrows smashes home... but no goal!
A corner is whipped in and is cleared to the edge of the box. Burrows smashes home through a crowd and the Sheffield United players and fans go wild. But hang on. Souza was running out in front of Sunderland goalkeeper Antony Patterson and was in an offside position and impacting play. VAR asks the ref to have a look at the goal and he decides that Souza was impacting Patterson. No goal. Huge roar goes up from the Sunderland fans.
Tyrese Campbell clips home! — Sheffield United 1-0 Sunderland
The Blades are ahead! They’ve looked the more dangerous and Sheffield United are ahead. After a corner for Sunderland is cleared, Sheffield United launch a counter through Hamer and picks out Tyrese Campbell perfectly and he controls so well and dinks calmly over the goalkeeper. They deserve this lead.
O’Nien has to come off with a dislocated shoulder
This is not good for Sunderland. Key center back Luke O’Nien is down as he looked to pop his shoulder out as he tried to challenge Moore when that header came in. He’s on oxygen. Chris Mepham is on in his place.
Patterson denies Moore’s header with a superb stop!
What a save. A cross is whipped in from the left and Kieffer Moore powers a header towards the bottom corner. It looks certain to go in but Anthony Patterson does brilliantly to claw the ball out. Great start from the Blades. Sunderland are really struggling.
Sheffield United lineup
Cooper; Choudhury, Ahmedhodzic, RObinson, Burrows; Brewster, Peck, Souza, Hamer; Moore, Campbell
Sunderland lineup
Patterson; Hume, Ballard, O’Nien, Cirkin; Rigg, Neil, Bellingham, Mundle; Le Fee, Mayenda
Sheffield United vs Sunderland head-to-head record
This season
The home side was victorious in each meeting during the 2024-25 Championship season, with Sheffield United winning 1-0 at Bramall Lane back in November (both sides played at least 45 minutes with 10 men) and Sunderland coming out on top 2-1 at the Stadium of Light on New Year’s Day.
All time
Sheffield United wins: 54
Sunderland wins: 67
Draws: 26
Sheffield United vs Sunderland odds to be promoted, favorites
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Sheffield United (-150) | Sunderland (+120)
Sheffield United vs Sunderland preview
Wembley Stadium will be a sea of red and white stripes next Saturday, May 24 (10 am ET). Sheffield United couldn’t have had an easier time in the semifinals of the promotion playoffs as Chris Wilder’s side beat Bristol City 3-0 in both legs. Sunderland, on the other hand, needed every single second of the 210 minutes of regular and extra time to see off Frank Lampard and Haji Wright’s Coventry City. It was 2-1 to Sunderland after the first leg and Regis Le Bris’s side was 15 minutes from advancing with a 0-0 draw at home, but the Sky Blues equalized in the 76th minute to extend the tie 30 more minutes. With 121:52 on the clock, Enzo Le Fee sent a corner kick into the penalty area and Dan Ballard headed it home with the last meaningful touch of the game.
Sheffield United are attempting to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking after finish last and being relegated this time last year, for the second time in four seasons. The Blades came back up after two seasons the last time they went down. The wait has been a little longer for Sunderland, who left the Premier League back in 2017 after 10 seasons in the top flight and haven’t been back since. The Black Cats suffered back-to-back relegations (and last-place finishes) back then and spent four seasons toiling in League One, now just one game away from a return to the big time after their third season in the Championship.
How to watch Sheffield United vs Sunderland live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 10:01 am ET, Saturday (May 24)
Venue: Wembley Stadium — London
TV/Streaming: Paramount+
