Sunderland Are Back: £200M Promotion, Last-Minute Wembley Drama, and the Premier League’s Noisiest Return

Emerson Bargao
May 24
3 min read

Sunderland players erupt after sealing Premier League promotion with a last-minute winner. — From League One to Wembley glory - Sunderland complete their Premier League comeback in style.

This isn’t just promotion.

This is a full-circle moment.

This is Sunderland — back in the Premier League.

The Black Cats have sealed their long-awaited return to the top flight with a dramatic 2-1 win over Sheffield United in the Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley. And they did it the Sunderland way — under pressure, backs to the wall, crowd behind them, and never giving up.

Down 1-0 at the break. 1-1 in the 76th.

Then in the 95th minute — pandemonium.

Tom Watson, 19 years old, shirt off, fists clenched, cemented himself into Wearside folklore with a last-gasp winner that sent the entire red half of Wembley into orbit.

Let’s not forget where this club has come from.

Sunderland endured years in League One — mocked, doubted, and filmed. — Documented by Netflix, dismissed by rivals - Sunderland’s long road back is complete.

In 2018, Sunderland were in League One — beaten, bruised, mocked by rivals and documented by Netflix. They were the punchline. But they’ve climbed back. Slowly. Quietly. Built a squad full of hungry young players. Took the long road — but arrived anyway.

Today’s win not only brings Premier League status, but an estimated £170 million windfall over the next few years — from TV rights, parachute payments, sponsorships, global reach… the works. This isn’t just the biggest game in English football. It’s the biggest prize in world football.

And Sunderland have claimed it.

The Rivalries Are Back — and So Is the Noise

Let’s be honest — the Premier League’s missed Sunderland. Missed the atmosphere. Missed the intensity. And above all, missed the Tyne-Wear Derby.

The Tyne-Wear Derby will return to the Premier League next season. — One of English football’s fiercest derbies returns to the big stage.

Yes — Newcastle vs Sunderland is back on the cards. One of the most hostile, historic and emotionally charged fixtures in British football. It’s more than a derby — it’s identity. And it’s returning to the biggest stage in football.

Jude and Jobe Bellingham — two brothers, one dream, both reaching the top. — From Stourbridge to the global stage - the Bellingham brothers are rewriting family football history.

Another storyline buried inside all this: Jobe Bellingham, younger brother of Jude, will now play Premier League football next season. That’s two brothers from Stourbridge who’ve made it all the way.

One dominating in the white of Real Madrid.

The other, now set to light up the Stadium of Light.

That’s an incredible achievement for the Bellingham family — two brothers, same dream, different routes — both living it at the top.

To be fair, Sheffield United did play well. Tom Campbell gave them the early lead, and they controlled large stretches. But as every football fan knows — finals are not about possession or patterns. They’re about moments.

Sunderland had theirs.

Sheffield didn’t take theirs.

It’s cruel, but it’s the game.