Ipswich Town rejoiced as they secured their promotion back to the Premier League after a 22-year absence with a 2-0 victory over Huddersfield Town. The win denied Leeds United the second automatic promotion spot as Ipswich only needed a point to confirm their promotion on the final day of the season. This achievement marked Ipswich as the first club since Southampton in 2012 to earn back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League.
The battle for the second automatic promotion spot was between Ipswich and Leeds after Leicester City had already secured their promotion the previous weekend. Leeds faced Southampton in their final game needing results to go their way but suffered a 2-1 defeat, leaving them in third place, six points behind Ipswich. Leicester finished as league champions with 97 points, while Ipswich ended the season with 96 points, securing their return to the top flight.
Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna expressed his relief and joy at the promotion, emphasizing the monumental jump they were preparing for in moving to the Premier League. McKenna highlighted the anticipation of facing top clubs like Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United and the challenge of competing against the best in the world. McKenna, who previously coached at Tottenham and Manchester United, took over the Ipswich job in 2021.
The defining moment of the match came in the first half when Ipswich took the lead through a well-executed move that saw Wes Burns score after Conor Chaplin found him unmarked in the box. Ipswich extended their lead early in the second half when Omari Hutchinson scored from the edge of the box. With their promotion secured, Ipswich now look forward to competing in the Premier League against elite clubs, managers, and players.
Leeds, on the other hand, will now aim to secure promotion through the playoffs where they will face Norwich City in a bid to return to the top flight. Daniel Farke, the Leeds manager, expressed his gratitude for his time at Norwich but stressed that his focus is solely on leading Leeds to promotion. West Bromwich Albion will also face Southampton in the playoff as they strive for a spot in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City faced relegation from the Championship, with Huddersfield finishing second-last and Birmingham finishing 22nd in the league. Plymouth Argyle managed to avoid relegation by finishing a point ahead of Birmingham, while Rotherham finished at the bottom of the table with their relegation confirmed earlier in April. The Championship season concluded with various teams celebrating promotions and others facing the disappointment of relegation.
