The Championship play-off final makes its annual appearance on the calendar on Saturday afternoon, with Sheffield United facing Sunderland for a place in the Premier League.
The Blades are looking for an instant return to the top flight following their relegation 12 months ago, while the Black Cats have not returned to the promised land since they dropped to the Championship in 2017.
Despite Sheffield United’s play-off issues in the past, Chris Wilder will be confident that his team can step up to the task in the capital this weekend, following a convincing 6-0 win over Bristol City in the semi-final over two legs.
Meanwhile, Sunderland’s Dan Ballard spectacularly won the tie against Coventry City with an incredible last minute header. However, success in the play-offs does not mean success the next season, and EFL Analysis have taken a look at how each of the last 10 Wembley winners have fared.
How the last 10 Championship play-off winners have done in the Premier League the season after
Southampton (2024)
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Southampton ran out 1-0 winners over Leeds United in the 2023/24 Championship play-off final, with Adam Armstrong’s first half effort proving to be the difference.
However, this season has not gone to plan at all, and the Saints only just avoided matching Derby County’s Premier League points record of 11 as they prepare for life back in the second tier after the summer break.
Luton Town (2023)
Luton Town also suffered relegation following their Wembley win, with the Hatters heading straight back to the Championship after beating Coventry on penalties in the 2023 final.
It’s been a difficult couple of years for the Bedfordshire outfit, and they are now preparing for life in League One after back-to-back relegations, and those halcyon days will now feel like a distant memory to the Kenilworth Road faithful.
Nottingham Forest (2022)
The first side on this list to have maintained their Premier League status following promotion through the play-offs, Nottingham Forest have made huge strides since beating Huddersfield Town three years ago as they get set for their European return next season.
They did come close to suffering the same fate as Luton and Southampton, but with Nuno Espirito Santo in charge, the Reds have quickly shown ambition where others have failed.
Brentford (2021)
Similar to Forest, Brentford have gone from strength to strength in recent years following their promotion and they are the second side to have survived in their first campaign after winning in the Championship play-off final.
A 2-0 victory over Swansea City secured the Bees’ place in the Premier League in 2021, and they have not looked back since with Thomas Frank in the dugout at the GTech Community Stadium.
Fulham (2020)
The second West London outfit to find themselves on this list, it was against Brentford who Fulham won promotion against, with Joe Bryan the hero at an empty Wembley to see the Cottagers return to the top flight.
They were relegated the following season, but immediately made the jump back to the promised land, where they have remained ever since.
Aston Villa (2019)
Few Aston Villa supporters would have expected it to take three years for the West Midlands outfit to return to the Premier League following their desperate relegation in 2016, but it was through the play-offs that they did finally succeed.
They beat Derby in 2019 to sink Frank Lampard, and they have improved year-on-year since following their survival in 2020. They were Champions League quarter-finalists this season, with Europe confirmed once again for 2025/26.
Fulham (2018)
If one play-off final was not enough for Fulham, then two proves that they are the recent kings of the format as they won promotion at the expense of Aston Villa in 2018.
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
They finished bottom of the table in the Premier League in 2019, allowing them to take their second Wembley victory in three years the following campaign as they began their yo-yo experience between the top flight and the Championship.
Huddersfield Town (2017)
In what was possibly the most tense, but least exciting final of all time, Huddersfield made their top flight return after beating Reading on penalties – despite not scoring a single goal in any of their three games in the play-offs.
The Terriers were an excellent addition to the Premier League, and confirmed their survival ahead of the final day. However, they were relegated in their second season and have not returned since.
Hull City (2016)
Hull City’s 1-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in 2016 is perhaps most well known for Mo Diame’s stunning strike, as the midfielder scored one of the greatest goals in Championship play-off final history.
However, despite an opening day victory over Premier League champions Leicester City, the Tigers were not able to avoid the drop, and were relegated by six points even with Watford’s awful form at the end of the campaign.
Norwich City (2015)
Norwich City ran out 2-0 winners over Middlesbrough in the 2014/15 Championship play-off final, with Cameron Jerome and Nathan Redmond scoring two goals in three minutes to send the Canaries back to the top flight.
Nevertheless, as has been the pattern, Norwich were unable to avoid the drop, and returned to the second tier after just one year in the Premier League.