Watson’s Last-Gasp Heroics Send Sunderland Back to the Premier League

A dramatic late winner from 19-year-old Tom Watson fired Sunderland back to the Premier League on Saturday night, as they edged Sheffield United 2-1 at Wembley in what’s often dubbed “the most valuable match in football.”

In a game packed with emotion, tension, and high stakes, it was Sheffield United who struck first after 25 minutes. A Sunderland corner turned into a devastating counter-attack as Gustavo Hamer stole possession and raced upfield before finding Tyrese Campbell, who coolly chipped goalkeeper Anthony Patterson to send the Blades ahead.

It could’ve been worse for the Black Cats. Just minutes later, Harrison Burrows appeared to double Sheffield United’s lead after a corner clearance, only for VAR to intervene and rule the goal out for offside against Vini Souza in the buildup. The reprieve kept Sunderland in the contest.

The first half had already dealt Sunderland a major blow when captain Luke O’Nien was forced off in the opening two minutes with a shoulder injury, but the side battled through adversity. Patterson was called upon to make a string of fine saves to keep Sheffield United from running away with it — most notably in the 69th minute when he denied a near-certain goal.

That resilience paid off in the 76th minute. Sunderland strung together a flowing move through midfield before Eliezer Mayenda rifled a low strike into the corner to level the tie and reignite hope among the travelling Black Cats faithful.

Then came the moment of magic.

Deep into stoppage time, with extra-time looming, Sunderland pounced on a Sheffield United error. A loose pass out of defence was intercepted and Watson, barely on the pitch for 15 minutes, kept his composure to bury the winner — sending Wembley into pandemonium and completing one of the club’s most memorable comebacks in modern history.

Sunderland’s Return From the Wilderness

Since their relegation from the Premier League in 2017, Sunderland endured a four-season stay in League One — a journey famously chronicled in the Netflix series Sunderland ’Til I Die. Their promotion back to the Championship in 2022 marked the first step in a rebuilding process, which has now culminated in a return to the top flight.

Watson’s 95th-minute winner not only secured promotion but also made Sunderland the first club in 29 years to win a Championship play-off final after trailing at half-time.

They join Leeds United and Burnley as the promoted trio heading into next season’s Premier League, while Sheffield United are left to wonder what might have been after a missed opportunity in front of nearly 90,000 fans at Wembley.