I must confess that as this Championship playoff final unfolded and Sunderland huffed and puffed without looking like breaking down a well-organised Sheffield United side, I was beginning to formulate this edition of Matchday Musings in my head.
Phrases like ‘pride in defeat’ and ‘The Lads gave their all but ultimately fell short against a battle-hardened Blades team’ may have been in the mix, but never in six years at Roker Report have I been so glad to see the outline of an article destroyed and my fears dispelled.
Sheffield United v Sunderland - Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Sunderland AFC are back in the Premier League.
Say it aloud. And say it again, and again, and again, because after eight years of upheaval, uncertainty and at times downright embarrassment, the long journey has led us back to the top flight and the promise of clashes with the best teams in the land.
Was this game good? Was it bad? Who cares?
I could give you an objective take on a match in which the Blades took the lead through Tyrese Campbell before we roared back to win it with goals from Eliezer Mayenda and Tommy Watson, but despite being fortunate enough to have a platform to express my opinions via this website, I’m no journalist.
Instead, I’m just a fan who’s sitting here with my football club restored to a place at the top table of English football, and as we went through the emotional wringer, it was Sunderland fandom in a nutshell. Anxiety, hope, and sheer elation when the final whistle blew, but also the realization that we’d done what we set out to do.
Luke O’Nien, so cruelly taken out of the game with a dislocated shoulder, was humble enough to highlight the efforts of his brothers in arms, and perhaps that’s the key to this team’s success: they fight for each other, they’re all invested in what we’re trying to achieve and they’re willing to work as hard as possible to achieve their goals.
That was the story at the end of the day on Saturday, and the players, backed by the calm, cool, and collected figure of Régis Le Bris (who deserves every accolade he’ll now get) are heading for the top flight.
The game itself was scrappy, lacking in flow and occasionally felt quite low-key.
A staggeringly brilliant early save by Anthony Patterson from Kieffer Moore’s header was one for the highlight reel and when Campbell opened the scoring after a rapid Blades break, it felt ominous, but an emphatic strike from Mayenda and Watson’s measured finish eventually turned the tables and sent Chris Wilder and his team packing.
Sheffield United v Sunderland - Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Did the occasion get to the players? Perhaps, because nerves did appear to hinder us early in the game, but like all high-stakes shootouts, it was decided by the qualities that no computer can gauge.
This was playoff football at its most nerve-shredding and brutal, but the Lads with that Sunderland badge on their chests somehow summoned the energy and the composure to carve out a late opening and take the chance.
So many wonderful stories were written at Wembley on Saturday and for the Sunderland fans in the stands who’d travelled south in the hope of seeing their side take the final step, this was a day they’ll never forget and hopefully one that we all see as a major milestone on this club’s onward journey.
I can’t lie: I’m emotional as I write this piece but I’m also filled with pride and excitement, and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.
During the build up to this game, the right notes were struck by the club’s social media posts and when it mattered most, the Lads carried the maxim ‘Til The End all the way to the Premier League.
Thanks for reading this. It means a lot, and enjoy the celebrations!
Sky Bet Championship Playoff Final
24 May 2025
Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 82,718
Sunderland 2 (Mayenda 76’, Watson 90+5’)
Sheffield United 1 (Campbell 24’)
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Ballard; O’Nien (Mepham 5’), Cirkin, Neil (Watson 73’); Jobe, Rigg (Roberts 58’), Le Fée; Mundle (Isidor 73’), Mayenda (Hjelde 98’)
Subs Not Used: Moore, Browne, Samed
Sheffield United: Cooper, Choudhury, Ahmedhodžić (Seriki 97’); Robinson, Burrows, Brewster (Brooks 65’); Peck (T. Davies 90’), Vinicius Souza, Hamer (Brereton-Diaz 72’; T. Cannon 90’); Moore, Campbell (O’Hare 65’)
Subs Not Used: Holding, McCallum, A.Davies