Southampton to face Leeds in Championship final after beating West Brom
SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — Southampton will face Leeds United for a spot in next year’s English Premier League after beating West Brom 3-1 in the second leg of their Championship playoff on Friday.
Southampton and Leeds will meet at Wembley on May 26 to decide who joins the already promoted Leicester City and Ipswich Town in the top flight.
The Saints progressed 3-1 on aggregate after a goalless first-leg at the Hawthorns last Sunday.
The celebrations were briefly marred when some of the 30,000 crowd invaded the pitch at the final whistle. Police rushed to keep the two sets of supporters separated and major trouble was avoided as players from both sides were quickly taken to the dressing rooms.
The final matchup is fitting given that Leeds finished third and Southampton fourth in the Championship. Leeds eliminated Norwich on Thursday to guarantee its place in the decider.
Watched by British Prime Minister and Saints fan Rishi Sunak, Southampton spent the first half on the attack and the visitor did well to soak up the pressure.
Four minutes into the second period came the breakthrough when Will Smallbone cracked a volley past Alex Palmer.
Prolific striker Adam Armstrong got his reward 12 minutes from time when he squeezed a low drive through the legs of a defender and into the far corner of the net. He got his second and Southampton’s third from the penalty spot with five minutes remaining to confirm the Saints superiority.
Cédric Kipré got a late consolation for West Brom.
“What a win," Armstrong told Sky Sports. “We know West Brom are a good side over the two legs. We needed to put a marker down for the final and we’ve done that. We know what we are up against.
“The main thing now is Wembley. We will rest and recover, and maybe a few beers in between that.”
Southampton will be looking to bounce straight back into the Premier League, a year after being relegated for the first time since 2005.
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