Salis' Sunderland secure Premier League return

Teenager Tom Watson scored a last-minute winner for Sunderland. His goal sent Sunderland to the Premier League. They defeated Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium.

The 19-year-old will join Brighton and Hove Albion next season. He curled a low shot past Michael Cooper. This secured Sunderland's return to the top flight after eight years.

Sunderland had struggled for much of the match. Tyrese Campbell gave Sheffield United a deserved first-half lead. Harrison Burrows almost scored again, but VAR ruled it offside.

Despite being outplayed, Sunderland equalized through Eliezer Mayenda in the 76th minute. Sheffield United was down to ten men temporarily due to an injury. Watson took advantage of this extra space dramatically.

This promotion caps an unexpected rise for Sunderland. Last year, they finished 16th and hired coach Regis Le Bris. Few would have predicted their promotion to the Premier League then.

After winning all four league games in August, they never looked back. They were never lower than fourth place during the season. Although automatic promotion hopes faded in spring, they regained momentum.

Sunderland advanced past Coventry City in the semi-finals with a late goal from Dan Ballard. They achieved this with a young team; only Luke O'Nien was over 25 years old among starters.

In contrast, Sheffield United's squad had 294 Premier League appearances combined. Yet Le Bris and his players defied expectations to return Sunderland to elite football.

As Sunderland celebrated, Sheffield United reflected on their tough season. They were relegated from the Premier League last year after finishing bottom with three wins and over 100 goals conceded.

Manager Chris Wilder lifted them up despite starting with a two-point deduction for financial issues. Tragically, former player George Baldock passed away in October, impacting the team deeply.

His memory motivated Sheffield United throughout the season as they competed closely with Leeds United and Burnley. However, losses in April dashed their automatic promotion hopes.

They rebounded by defeating Bristol City in the semi-finals but faced another play-off disappointment at Wembley. This marked their tenth play-off failure since 1925 without a win at the national stadium.

Early on, Anthony Patterson made an outstanding save against Kieffer Moore’s header from Gustavo Hamer’s cross. Unfortunately for Sunderland captain Luke O'Nien, he dislocated his shoulder during that play.

Sheffield United capitalized on this advantage and scored first after breaking from a corner kick. Gustavo Hamer set up Tyrese Campbell perfectly for his goal over Patterson.

Burrows thought he had doubled their lead before halftime when he scored after Hamer's corner kick was cleared to him. However, VAR ruled it out due to offside interference with Patterson’s view.

Substitute Andre Brooks missed a chance for Sheffield United when Patterson blocked his shot inside the box following Cirkin's mistake. After Hamer limped off injured, Sunderland struck back through Mayenda’s impressive finish from Patrick Roberts’ pass.

With renewed hope, Watson seized his moment after Ahmedhodzic received treatment for an injury. He picked up Moore's misplaced pass and curled a low shot into the bottom corner for victory.