Leeds United have been crowned Championship champions in a breathtaking final day of the season, courtesy of a dramatic last-minute winner from Manor Solomon. Their 2-1 victory over Plymouth was enough to leapfrog Burnley, who despite their own 3-1 win against Millwall, finished as runners-up due to an inferior goal difference. Both Leeds and Burnley concluded the season with an impressive 100 points.
The Championship play-offs will feature Coventry City and Bristol City alongside Sheffield United and Sunderland. Meanwhile, Luton Town and Plymouth Argyle will join Cardiff City in League One next season.
Hull City narrowly avoided relegation, securing a crucial 1-1 draw away at Portsmouth. This result placed them just above Luton Town on goal difference, as Luton suffered a heavy 5-3 defeat at the hands of West Bromwich Albion. Tom Fellows and Callum Styles each scored twice for West Brom, with Daryl Dike also finding the net. Millenic Alli scored a brace for Luton, and Jordan Clark added another, but their efforts were in vain.
Coventry City secured their play-off spot for the second consecutive year with a comfortable 2-0 victory over promotion rivals Middlesbrough, who ultimately dropped to 10th place. Bristol City staged a remarkable comeback, drawing 2-2 at home against Preston North End after being 2-0 down, clinching the final play-off position.
There was heartbreak for Blackburn Rovers, who agonizingly missed out on the play-offs. Needing a win against Sheffield United to overtake Bristol City, Blackburn took the lead through Yuki Ohashi. However, an equalizer from Anel Ahmedhodzic nine minutes later resulted in a 1-1 draw, sealing Blackburn’s fate.
Luton Town now face a swift return to League One after suffering back-to-back relegations. Following their fairytale promotion to the Premier League in 2023, the Hatters have now fallen into the third tier within just two seasons. They become the first club since Sunderland in 2018 to drop from the top flight to League One in consecutive seasons, and only the fourth in the Premier League era, joining Swindon (1994-95) and Wolves (2012-13). Disgruntled Luton fans made their feelings clear after the final whistle, chanting “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” at their crestfallen players.
