Southampton won promotion back to the Premier League on Sunday after beating Leeds United 1-0 in the Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium, earning an immediate return to England's top tier following relegation in 2023.

Adam Armstrong was the Southampton matchwinner as his first-half goal was enough to see off a Leeds side that struggled to muster a meaningful response, with substitute Daniel James coming closest after his shot hit the bar late in the second half.

Southampton will join Leicester City and Ipswich Town in the Premier League next season, the latter being promoted after a 22-year absence from the top flight, while Leicester also returned to the Premier League at the first attempt after relegation last year.

Leeds vs Southampton highlights

• Adam Armstrong fires Saints straight back to the Premier League

Goodbye

18:19 , Jonathan Gorrie

Thanks for joining Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Southampton’s win over Leeds in the Championship play-off final!

Find our full report below!

Adam Armstrong fires Saints straight back to the Premier League

17:06 , Jonathan Gorrie

Adam Armstrong scored the only goal of the game as Southampton overcame a sub-par Leeds side in the Championship play-off final.

The south coast club return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, joining Leicester and Ipswich.

Read our full match report here!

FT: Leeds 0-1 Southampton

17:04 , Jonathan Gorrie

They’ve done it!

Saints are back in the Premier League.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

17:03 , Jonathan Gorrie

99 mins: Saints are so, so close now.

Leeds aren’t attacking with any real conviction.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

17:00 , Jonathan Gorrie

96 mins: Saints managing it well so well. They’re camped in the Leeds half and keeping the ball nicely.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:59 , Jonathan Gorrie

95 mins: It’s almost impossible to see Saints conceding now.

They’ve taken the best Leeds have to offer.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:58 , Jonathan Gorrie

94 mins: Good save from McCarthy to deny James.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:57 , Jonathan Gorrie

93 mins: It’s the story of the match so far.

Leeds have almost all of the ball but its far too tight.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

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90 mins: 9 minutes added on and probably more, with Walker-Peters and James down getting treatment after a clash of heads.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:52 , Jonathan Gorrie

88 mins: Saints are edging ever closer.

This has been a very composed performance indeed.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:49 , Jonathan Gorrie

85 mins: Rutter fires well over from just outside the box.

Getting a bit desperate now.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:48 , Jonathan Gorrie

83 mins: OFF THE BAR!

Daniel James rifles over McCarthy but it slams against the woodwork and back out!

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:45 , Jonathan Gorrie

80 mins: Fewer than ten minutes for Leeds to find something.

Given what we’ve seen so far, it does not look likely.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:43 , Jonathan Gorrie

78 mins: Adams drops so deep, inviting pressure on Saints.

Amapdu pounces and is duly fouled by the forward., giving Leeds a chance from a free-kick.

Saints just about clear.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:41 , Jonathan Gorrie

76 mins: Edozie down getting treatment for cramp. Frank is furious.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

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73 mins: Summerville OFF as Antony and Roberts replace him and Kamara.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:34 , Jonathan Gorrie

70 mins: Saints are twenty minutes from the Premier League and look more than comfortable with that.

Remarkably composed.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:31 , Jonathan Gorrie

67 mins: Edozie places one just wide. Should have done better.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:29 , Jonathan Gorrie

65 mins: Gnonto comes off for James as Farke rolls the dice.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:28 , Jonathan Gorrie

63 mins: Leeds have huffed and puffed but, barring a moment of magic, are looking bereft of ideas.

Saints look primed and ready to go through the gears.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:25 , Jonathan Gorrie

61 mins: Leeds are staring to lose their head a bit.

Like in the first-half, Saints have found their platform.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:24 , Jonathan Gorrie

60 mins: Armstrong once again finds himself in a great position with a fairly straightforward ball.

He’s marginally offside but it just underlines how dangerous Saints can be.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:18 , Jonathan Gorrie

54 mins: Feels a bit like the opening stages to the first-half.

Leeds having a lot of the ball but its too congested and while Saints are a little last-ditch, they don’t really look at risk of conceding.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:16 , Jonathan Gorrie

51 mins: Summerville sees the resulting free-kick blocked.

Saints under the cosh here somewhat.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:15 , Jonathan Gorrie

50 mins: Harwood-Bellis booked for a foul on Rutter just outside the box.

Leeds do appear to be growing in confidence.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:12 , Jonathan Gorrie

48 mins: Rodon glides forward, easing past Aribo but Harwood-Bellis is there to block him.

Summerville then looks to place one but sends it just wide.

Much better from Leeds.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:10 , Jonathan Gorrie

45 mins: Leeds fans must be so frustrated.

They’re having enough of the ball to cause problems but just cannot create anything meaningful.

Saints have looked so comfortable since a dodgy opening few minutes.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

16:08 , Jonathan Gorrie

45 mins: We are back underway!

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

15:58 , Jonathan Gorrie

Some finish from Armstrong!

HT: Leeds 0-1 Southampton

15:52 , Jonathan Gorrie

HT: After a frantic start, Leeds look so short of ideas.

Adam Armstrong’s goal the difference so far and Saints look the much more comfortable.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

15:48 , Jonathan Gorrie

46 mins: Armstrong surely can’t believe his luck.

That’s three times now he’s found so much space with relative ease.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

15:47 , Jonathan Gorrie

44 mins: CHANCE FOR SAINTS!

Armstrong drifts into more space and cuts back across goal with a shot but Meslier denies him!

Leeds then scramble to clear.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

15:44 , Jonathan Gorrie

41 mins: Leeds getting a bit of momentum but its all so congested. Yet to test McCarthy properly.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

15:43 , Jonathan Gorrie

40 mins: A strong hand from McCarthy sends a Summerville corner away before Saints win a foul when the ball comes back in.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

15:38 , Jonathan Gorrie

35 mins: Cannot be stressed enough how well Saints have settled.

They look a completely different team to the one who’ve started. Dealing with Leeds well when they revert to a back-five out of possession, Leeds appear to panic when they counter.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

15:36 , Jonathan Gorrie

32 mins: Edozie warming up with Brooks looking uncomfortable.

Leeds might be seeing a lot of the ball in the final third but just cannot create anything.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

15:34 , Jonathan Gorrie

31 mins: Saints really are looking comfortable now.

Leeds look so rushed in attack, while Saints appear nice and relaxed.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

15:32 , Jonathan Gorrie

29 mins: Brooks requires treatment holding his shoulder as Adams warms up.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

15:29 , Jonathan Gorrie

27 mins: Saints waste a corner and Leeds break through Gray but great work from Downes to force him to misplace his pass.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

15:28 , Jonathan Gorrie

25 mins: Really good stuff from Saints.

They had to come through a storm in the opening ten minutes but are looking much more composed.

Brilliant finish from Armstrong.

GOAL! Leeds 0-1 Southampton | Adam Armstrong '23

15:26 , Jonathan Gorrie

23 mins: GOAL!

And there we have it!

Armstrong once again drifts into so much space and fires Saints ahead with a fine finish across Meslier!

Leeds 0-0 Southampton

15:25 , Jonathan Gorrie

22 mins: Leeds are looking the more dangerous but their decision-making leaves a lot to be desired.

The longer Saints have to settle, the more dangerous they will be. In full flow, they are difficult to stop.

Leeds 0-0 Southampton

15:21 , Jonathan Gorrie

19 mins: Leeds so dangerous when Summerville drifts inside but the forward opts to pass when a shooting opportunity looked to have emerged.

Leeds 0-0 Southampton

15:18 , Jonathan Gorrie

15 mins: The tempo has dipped somewhat after a frantic start.

Leeds may be kicking themselves for not scoring earlier, while Saints appear to have settled after a slow start.

Leeds 0-0 Southampton

15:14 , Jonathan Gorrie

12 mins: Meslier gets a strong hand to Smallbone’s free-kick.

Leeds 0-0 Southampton

15:14 , Jonathan Gorrie

11 mins: Dangerous free-kick just outside the Leeds box after a foul on Aribo...

Leeds 0-0 Southampton

15:13 , Jonathan Gorrie

10 mins: Saints just starting to get their foot on the ball and regroup here.

Armstrong drifts into space and tees up Smallbone, though he’s blocked off by Rodon.

Much, much better from Saints.

Leeds 0-0 Southampton

15:11 , Jonathan Gorrie

08 mins: Pretty relentless stuff from Leeds, who keep forcing Saints into mistakes.

They do, however, have a tendency to take far too many touches and want too long on the ball.

Saints will feel confident they can only improve.

Leeds 0-0 Southampton

15:09 , Jonathan Gorrie

06 mins: Nice work from Rutter and Gnonto creates space for the Italian but McCarthy collects with relative ease.

Leeds 0-0 Southampton

15:07 , Jonathan Gorrie

04 mins: Leeds are starting to develop something of a foothold, albeit with creating too much in the way of clear cut chances.

Summerville seeing a lot of the ball.

Leeds 0-0 Southampton

15:05 , Jonathan Gorrie

03 mins: Gray fires just wide from range as Leeds start to impose themselves.

Leeds 0-0 Southampton

15:04 , Jonathan Gorrie

01 mins: Southampton almost in thanks t o a long ball but Firpo just about gets there.

Leeds 0-0 Southampton

15:03 , Jonathan Gorrie

01 mins: Decent start for Leeds as Saints lose the ball in midfield but Gruev is eventually blocked off by Fraser.

KICK-OFF!

15:02 , Jonathan Gorrie

Away we go! Leeds get us underway.

Leeds vs Southampton

15:00 , Jonathan Gorrie

The national anthem is over.

We’re almost there...

Leeds vs Southampton

14:54 , Jonathan Gorrie

Closing in on kick-off now!

A long and arduous Championship campaign is about to end in the best possible way for one of these teams!

Leeds vs Southampton

14:48 , Jonathan Gorrie

Daniel Farke’s pre-match message

How much is the Championship Play-Off Final worth?

14:43 , Jonathan Gorrie

It’s estimated that the winner could earn as much as £250m by winning the Championship play-off final.

Leeds vs Southampton

14:36 , Jonathan Gorrie

A massive day for Russell Martin, too.

The Saints boss has attracted admirers for his free-flowing attacking football and will certainly do his reputation no harm by leading the Saints back up.

Leeds vs Southampton

14:28 , Jonathan Gorrie

A big day for Leeds star Crysencio Summerville.

Billed as the best player in the Championship, it’ll be fascinating to see if he can do it on the grandest of stages.

Leeds vs Southampton

14:18 , Jonathan Gorrie

This is going to be a cracker...

Leeds vs Southampton

14:11 , Jonathan Gorrie

Big boost for Saints to have Che Adams and Ross Stewart on the bench.

That’s a huge amount of firepower, while having Flynn Downes fit is a major plus.

Confirmed Southampton lineup

14:07 , Jonathan Gorrie

Southampton XI: McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens; Downes, Smallbone, Aribo; Fraser, Armstrong, Brooks

Subs: Lumley, Bree, Mannning, Charles, Rothwell, Edozie, Kamaldeen, Adams, Stewart

Confirmed Leeds lineup

14:05 , Jonathan Gorrie

Leeds XI: Meslier; Gray, Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo; Kamara, Gruev; Summerville, Rutter, Gnonto; Piroe

Subs: Darlow, Byram, Roberts, Cooper, Shackleton, Anthony, James, Gelhardt, Joseph

Leeds vs Southampton

14:02 , Jonathan Gorrie

The head-to-head this season works in Southampton’s favour, with the south coast club having beaten Leeds twice this season.

Leeds vs Southampton

13:47 , Jonathan Gorrie

Closing in on team news! Just under 15 minutes to go.

Russell Martin: Wembley result won't define Southampton progress

13:31 , George Flood

Meanwhile, Farke’s Southampton counterpart Russell Martin insists that the result today will not define his side’s progress.

"Externally the work we have done will be defined by the outcome, it always is in football, but for us I don't think it will be," he said.

"We all want to get there and we all want to do it now but I don't think, if we don't have the right result on Sunday, that it means we have ultimately failed in the goal of getting to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

"There is so much stuff to then be positive about and really for us to look forward to, to learn from and the same for the players, so it is such a fine margin between failure and success.

"Hopefully, we are successful on Sunday. Hopefully, we will achieve what we want to achieve."

Daniel Farke out to secure Leeds 'legacy' at Wembley

13:20 , George Flood

More than just a chance to return to the Premier League after his previous spells at Norwich, Leeds boss Daniel Farke is motivated by creating “legacy” at Wembley this afternoon.

"I want to work at Premier League level because for me, it's the best league in the world,” he said.

"This is my big motivation - to work there again and to work with an exciting club, who are very special in different ways and do things their own way.

"If it would be easy, it's not my job. I always like challenges and something where you can create something special.

"I was never too attracted by being the 47th coach who wins the 347th title for a club, I want to create something special and also, if possible, to create a bit of legacy."

Predicted lineups

13:02 , George Flood

Here is how Standard Sport sees both sides lining up at Wembley this afternoon, with official team news now less than an hour away....

Predicted Leeds XI: Meslier; Gray, Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo; Gruev, Kamara; Gnonto, Rutter, Summerville; Piroe

Predicted Southampton XI: McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens; Downes, Smallbone, Aribo, Brooks, Armstrong, Fraser

Leeds vs Southampton prediction

12:49 , George Flood

This is a fascinating, high-profile battle between the sides that finished third and fourth respectively in the Championship this season and will have each been gutted not to earn automatic promotion straight back to the Premier League.

It is a game packed full of fascinating subplots, not least Russell Martin going up against his old Norwich boss Daniel Farke in the dugout.

Play-off finals can often be very nervy and cagey affairs, but we think this’ll buck the trend with plenty of goals between two attacking sides who will be eager to put on a show and prove their readiness to be back in the big time so soon.

Last year’s showpiece was a thrilling affair between Coventry and Luton that went all the way to penalties and we think the same could well happen here, with Leeds maybe just edging proceedings to avenge their successive losses to the Saints and secure another return to the Premier League.

Leeds to win on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

Southampton team news

12:45 , George Flood

Southampton have been hugely boosted this afternoon by the fitness of striker Che Adams, who was not risked in either semi-final leg against West Brom due injury.

Fellow Scotland attacker Ross Stewart is also fit after a knock, though Saints boss Russell Martin remains without the likes of goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, Juan Larios and Stuart Armstrong.

Leeds team news

12:35 , George Flood

Leeds have been dealt a fitness blow with striker Patrick Bamford still sidelined today with a knee problem that has seen him miss the last four matches, including both legs of the play-off semi-final against Norwich.

Long-term absentee Pascal Struijk is also still out, though Sam Byram has returned to training this week after a knock and could feature at Wembley.

How to watch Leeds vs Southampton

12:33 , George Flood

TV channel: In the UK, today’s game will be televised live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football. Coverage starts at 2pm BST.

Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.

Leeds vs Southampton live

12:31 , George Flood

Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s live coverage of today’s massive Championship play-off final between Leeds and Southampton.

After Manchester United’s stunning FA Cup final win over Manchester City yesterday, it’s set to be another momentous afternoon at Wembley Stadium.

The so-called ‘richest game in football’ will see one of these sides make an instant return to the Premier League promised land, joining champions Leicester and surprise package Ipswich back in the big time.

Kick-off is at 3pm BST, so stay right with us for all the latest team news, build-up and live match updates.

This could be an absolute cracker!