Leeds United v Southampton: Championship playoff final – live | Championship

43 min Rutter runs elegantly at the Leeds defence and slips the ball through to Firpo in the area. Harwood-Bellies makes a vital tackle and is then wiped out by Summerville, who is booked.

Summerville got the ball but he led with his studs, so once the referee gave a foul it was always likely to be a yellow card.

42 min Downes and Gruev fly into a ferocious, old-fashioned 50/50, then get straight to their feet without appealing or wincing. Which is nice.

42 min “Had to switch to the ESPN+ Spanish feed because if it being out of sync,” writes Graham Randall. “Very much like watching Channel 9 on the Fast Show. Random English names inserted into commentary.”

Leeds could do with Chris Waddle the noo.

41 min Summerville’s corner is punched away by McCarthy. The ball is headed back into the area and almost falls for Kamara, though the referee had given a free-kick against Piroe.

39 min Bednarek takes a shortcut through the back of Rutter and is booked.

38 min “Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Leeds’ all white combo is a classic, but Southampton really have had some cracking kits throughout the decades. It’s just a pity they’re not wearing their home kit today. Reminds me of something else worn by a half decent side too…”

This is the kit, although preferably with Ranx Xerox as the sponsor.

37 min Southampton have kept Leeds at arm’s length since Armstrong’s goal. In fact it’s been a pretty uneventful half. I was going to say ‘surprisingly uneventful’, but all bets are off in a game of this importance.

35 min: Southampton substitution Poor David Brooks, who has been through so much in tthe last few years, is very close to tears as he leaves the field. Samuel Edozie replaces him.

33 min Brooks is back on the field but not for long – he can’t run properly and is holding his left arm by his side.

32 min “Armstrong, a legend at making space for himself, has taken a giant leap for the Saints, who must be over the moon, given how they started,” says Justin Kavanagh. “Now can Leeds bring them back down to Earth?”

You’re talking out of… well never mind.

31 min Brooks is struggling and might not be able to continue.

30 min “The ESPN+ feed I am watching has the audio slightly ahead of the video action, so, for example, I heard the crowd roar before I saw the Saints score,” writes Andrew Bartlett. “No bueno, especially as I want Leeds to win.”

Out-of-sync commentary is one of the most annoying things in the entire world. I’m disappointed it hasn’t been mentioned in any election manifestos.

29 min Brooks needs treatment to his shoulder after falling awkwardly. That allows the two managers to give an impromptu teamtalk.

27 min Walker-Peters wins a corner for Southampton, who’ve had a pep in their step since Armstrong’s excellent goal.

Leeds break from the corner, four on two, but Gray’s pass goes astray. That was a chance.

26 min “As a Liverpool fan, I was very impressed at Southampton’s style of play at Anfield in the EFL Cup this season,” says Neil Waters. “Easily better than half the Premier League. Russell Martin seems to be the next great manager who was an average footballer.”

They’re all the rage these days.

Smallbone found a bit of space between the lines and poked a simple pass behind the Leeds defence. Armstrong made an excellent run behind Gruev, just right of centre, and drove the ball emphatically across Meslier.

The defending wasn’t great – Leeds’ defensive line was horribly wonky – but Armstrong finished beautifully.

GOAL! Leeds 0-1 Southampton (A Armstrong 24)

21 min This is a pretty cagey game. Leeds have been the better team but Southampton had the best opening when Armstrong got away in the 11th minute.

19 min Summerville zips infield from the left, plays a one-two with Gruev and tries to put Gnonto through on goal with an angled pass. It’s cut out on the edge of the area by Bednarek, and a good thing too for Southampton.

17 min Gnonto is in a bit of pain after being kneed in the rump by Stephens. I don’t think it was deliberate, but Gnonto felt it.

In other news, the sun has come out at Wembley barely 20 minutes after a biblical shower.

16 min It’s an even game now. Southampton have come to the party and woken up and settled into their work.

15 min “Saints are canny all the same, staying calm, drawing Leeds’ early fire, seeing what they can do when Leeds tire,” says Jeremy Boyce. “Leeds need to channel their inner Bielsa and hope that Saints don’t channel their inner Channon/Le Tissier.”

Channon you say?

13 min Smallbone’s curling free-kick from 25 yards is pushed behind by the diving Meslier, a camera-friendly but essentiallly comfortable save.

Meslier comes for the resulting corner, doesn’t get there and is relieved to the see ball flash across the face of goal.

11 min Southampton enjoy their first extended spell of possession – and almost take the lead. Fraser plays an excellent first-time pass to release Armstrong on the left side of the area. His cutback towards Smallbone is crucially cut out at the near post by Rodon; the ball rebounds to Armstrong, whose snapshot is blocked.

8 min Rutter dances into the area and is well challenged by Bednarek. Southampton can’t get out.

7 min Gnonto shoots straight at McCarthy from 20 yards after a sharp Leeds move. I thought he was fouled just before shooting but the referee disagreed.

Leeds have started well; Southampton haven’t started at all.

7 min Summerville is fouled 25 yards from goal on the left wing. He takes it himself, curling the free-kick beyond the far post. Rodon heads back across goal and a Southampton defender clears.

4 min Leeds have had most of the ball in the first few minutes. Gray moves forward from right-back, cuts inside and drives a low left-foot shot from 25 yards. McCarthy watches it go harmlessly wide.

1 min Peep peep! Leeds’ Joel Piroe has the first kick of the playoff final. Leeds are kicking from right to left as we watch.

The greatest darts player in the world is also at Wembley

A reminder of the teams, who as I type are getting drenched during the pre-match formalities

Leeds (4-2-3-1) Meslier, Gray, Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo; Gruev, Kamara; Gnonto, Rutter, Summerville; Piroe.
Substitutes: Cooper, Anthony, Shackleton, James, Byram, Darlow, Gelhardt, Roberts, Fernandez.

Southampton (4-3-3) McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens; Smallbone, Downes, Aribo; Brooks, A Armstrong, Fraser.
Substitutes: Manning, Adams, Stewart, Lumley, Bree, Rothwell, Sulemana, Edozie, Charles.

Referee John Brooks.

And here’s Southampton manager Russell Martin

The players are ready, they’re calm. I’ve really enjoyed the feeling this week and this morning, and now it’s here. It’s over to them to trust each other, trust the work and put it in practice on a big occasion.

We trust the process that has got us to this point. It’s just about being aware of the occasion, because it is different. The challenge for us is always to be the team we want to be, and that challenge increases when it’s an occasion like this.

The pre-match thoughts of Leeds manager Daniel Farke

It’s a big game on a big stage, the sort we all wanted to be involved in since we started playing football. It’s important to calm the nerves and to be yourself on the pitch – to play with fire and heart but be cool in the head. To find this balance is always crucial.

It’s pouring down at Wembley, with a chance of thunderstorms during the game. Buy a few shares in shots from outside the box.

Just one more thing

“Watching Leeds in the playoffs reminds me of Colombo: we know it’ll end in defeat, but the joy is in finding out how we’ll throw it away this time,” says Alex Adams. “Leeds never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity at Wembley. But I live in hope that we’ll break that hex today.”

Failure isn’t always the best way to learn

As Nietzsche was saying

Team news

“Spoiler alert: Nasty Leeds fan here,” says Jeremy Boyce. “Everything crossed it goes our way, but hats off to Saints if it’s they who make it, they are a class act and have already beaten us twice this season. May the better team win, and the other one join them very soon.”

The less obvious link

This was a big result in Southampton’s ultimately successful fight against relegation. The second goal is one of the best you’ll ever see.

The other bleedin’ obvious link

(If you want to know more about this absurd story, Josh Widdicombe and Dara O’Briain did a very funny podcast on the subject.)

The bleedin’ obvious link

Louise Taylor’s preview

Preamble