After eight years away—four spent in England’s third tier, EFL League One—Sunderland will return to the Premier League in 2025/2026.
Régis Le Bris’ side defeated Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United 2-1 in the EFL Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday to secure their return to England’s top flight.
They did so in dramatic fashion, with Tom Watson netting the winner in stoppage time ahead of the teenager’s summer move to Brighton & Hove Albion.
The 19-year-old’s 95th-minute strike ensured his current club would be making the jump up to the country’s elite competition along with him for the 2025/2026 campaign.
In this post-match tactical analysis, we’ll provide an in-depth analysis of both teams’ respective tactical setups on Saturday.
Our analysis details both teams’ tactics in attack and defence, with a particular focus on our key battle of the game: Sheffield United’s press versus Sunderland’s build-up play.
EFL Championship Play-Off Final 2024/2025 Lineups & Formations
Firstly, we’ll outline how both teams lined up for Saturday’s game.
efl-championship-playoff-final-2024-2025-tactical-analysis-tactics
Figure 1 shows the lineups for the EFL Championship Play-Off Final.
Eventual winners Sunderland were set up in a 4-4-2 shape.
Anthony Patterson started in goal behind a backline consisting of right-back Trai Hume, right centre-back Dan Ballard, left centre-back Luke O’Nien and left-back Dennis Cirkin.
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