Aribo returns to EPL as Southampton beat Leeds in promotion final

Joe Aribo will join his Super Eagles’ mates, Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi, in the English Premier League next season following his team, Southampton’s 1-0 defeat of Leeds United in the English Championship promotion playoff yesterday.

Iheanacho and Ndidi’s Leicester City qualified for the Premier League at the end of the season as winners of the English Championship. Southampton had to take the promotion playoff route as they did not finish among the first two teams in the Championship.

And yesterday in Wembley, Adam Armstrong’s first-half goal sent them back into the topflightin Leeds United’s stead.
The forward confidently slotted into the far bottom corner midway through the opening period to seal a deserved victory for the Saints, who return to the top flight at the first time of asking.

Leeds had their moments in the capital, with Daniel James striking the underside of the bar during the closing stages, but the Yorkshire giants failed to sufficiently threaten Southampton’s goal throughout the contest.
Russell Martin secures promotion with the South-coast side in his first campaign in charge, Southampton joining Leicester City and Ipswich Town in sealing places in the top flight.

Both bosses opted for unchanged starting lineups and the continuity appeared to help their respective teams with Archie Gray sending a low effort wide for Leeds within minutes of kickoff.

Southampton had to dig deep to weather Leeds’ opening storm, their backline far more resolute of late, but there was only a Will Smallbone free kick that threatened an opener at the other end in the first 20 minutes, Illan Meslier making the save.

That soon changed midway through the half as the Saints went in front. A through-ball from Will Smallbone was threaded through to Armstrong, who had expertly beaten the offside trap, and the forward retained his composure to slot an effort into the far corner from 12 yards out.

Ten minutes before the break, though, Southampton were dealt a blow when David Brooks needed to be withdrawn with a shoulder injury, Sam Edozie being introduced in his place.

For all of the pressure from Leeds that followed, without any clear-cut chance being created, Southampton almost doubled their lead before the break. A cleverly-worked free kick found the run of Armstrong, whose low shot from a similar position to his goal was parried away by Meslier before being cleared.