Promotion to the Premier League is a lucrative achievement for teams in the Championship, the second tier of English football.
The top two finishers in the Championship table earn automatic promotion to the Premier League, while the next four sides in the table duke it out for the final spot in a playoff knockout bracket.
Last season's relegated sides from the Premier League were Burnley, Watford, and Norwich City, and all fared very differently in the quest for a quick return back to the top flight. Burnley clinched promotion back to the Premier League by winning the Championship, while Norwich and Watford both fell short of the playoff places.
The Clarets will be joined back in the Premier League by Sheffield United after the Blades finished in second place, and the third team to move up is Luton Town after they won won the EFL Championship playoff promotion final on penalties.
The Sporting News brings you a full and updated look at the playoff picture as it stands with the season nearing a conclusion.
MORE: When is the Luton Town vs. Coventry City promotion final?
Teams promoted to Premier League 2023
Burnley secured promotion to the Premier League on April 7 and later secured the Championship title on April 25, finishing with 101 points on the season.
Sheffield United, who were relegated from the Premier League in 2020/21, followed right behind them, clinching a spot in the top flight on April 26.
Finally, the teams that finished in 3rd through 6th qualified for the playoffs, which produced the third and final team to earn a Premier League place in 2023/24. Luton Town, the third-place team in the table, were the last team left standing.
In the playoffs, Luton Town (3rd place) faced 6th place Sunderland in the semifinals, with 4th-place Middlesbrough taking on 5th-place Coventry City.
Final Championship table as of last round of fixtures on May 8, 2023
| Pos | Team | Points | Matches Played | Goals Scored | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Burnley - Y | 101 | 46 | 87 | +52 |
| 2. | Sheffield United - Y | 91 | 46 | 73 | +34 |
| —— | ——automatic—— | ——— | ———— | ———— | ————— |
| 3. | Luton Town - Z | 80 | 46 | 57 | +18 |
| 4. | Middlesbrough - Z | 75 | 46 | 74 | +28 |
| 5. | Coventry City - Z | 70 | 46 | 58 | +12 |
| 6. | Sunderland - Z | 69 | 46 | 68 | +13 |
| —— | ———playoff——— | ——— | ———— | ———— | ————— |
| 7. | Blackburn | 69 | 46 | 52 | -2 |
| 8. | Millwall | 68 | 46 | 57 | +7 |
| 9. | West Brom | 66 | 46 | 59 | +6 |
| 10. | Swansea City | 66 | 46 | 68 | +4 |
Y - secured automatic promotion to Premier League
Z - assured of a playoff spot
Burnley promoted to Premier League
Just one year after being relegated from the Premier League, Burnley are back in the top flight after securing automatic promotion with a win over Middlesbrough on Friday, April 7.
Belgian manager Vincent Kompany steered his side to a promotion place with seven matches to play. It was an incredible accomplishment for the club that was dumped into the second tier just 10 months prior on the final day of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.
Burnley's rise back to the Premier League comes after a massive summer overhaul that saw club stalwarts James Tarkowski and Nick Pope depart, with Kompany managing to integrate 16 new signings.
Kompany, the former Manchester City centre-back, achieved just one win in the first five matches of the season, but the Clarets then proceeded to lose just three times all season, blasting teams with an all-out attack while also shoring up at the back — their 87 goals scored and 35 goals conceded were the best marks in the Championship.
A day to remember for Vincent Kompany 😍 pic.twitter.com/ksHtOEydNV
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) April 7, 2023
Promotion ✅
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) April 8, 2023
But, as Corky says, we're not finished yet... pic.twitter.com/bXGwDr0Pzh
Sheffield United promoted to Premier League
The Blades were dumped from the English top flight in 2020/21, finishing bottom of the table and sent down together with Fulham and West Brom that season.
It was fitting, then, that a win over West Brom on April 26 saw Sheffield United secure a place back in the Premier League.
Led by former Leeds United and Barnsley boss Paul Heckingbottom, the Blades have been revived with some familiar faces and a few key additions. The backbone of the squad remained after relegation two years prior, with Ollie McBurnie and Sander Berge playing big roles in their promotion campaign.
They also rode the back of 24-year-old Bosnian centre-back Anel Ahmedhodzic, who joined in the summer of 2022 from Malmo and was one of the best defenders in the Championship, scoring six goals as well, including one in the clincher against West Brom.
A pair of young Manchester City loanees, James McAtee and Tommy Doyle, were also key contributors in midfield, and their futures with the club after promotion will be a big focus this coming transfer window.
Luton Town promoted to Premier League
The final promoted side was determined by the Championship playoff final on Saturday, May 27, with Luton Town knocking off Coventry City on penalties to win it.
Luton Town took the first-half lead, but Coventry City came on strong in the second half and equalised, sending the match to extra-time and eventually penalties.
As the highest seed, Luton Town were always the favourites throughout the playoffs, after finishing third in the table, 11 points off automatic promotion.
Luton Town eliminated sixth-place finisher Sunderland in one semifinal (3-2 on aggregate over two legs) to reach the final against Coventry City, who ousted Middlesbrough.
It's the first time that Luton will be in the Premier League since the English top-flight was revamped in 1992/93. Not too long ago, Luton were in the fifth-tier of English football, wrapping an incredible rise.