Alright, so the timeline for Sheffield United vs Sunderland A.F.C. leading up to the 2025 Championship play-off final is actually pretty wild. Both teams had up-and-down seasons, but Sheffield United finished a huge 14 points ahead of Sunderland, which almost never happens for play-off finalists. People were honestly shocked they didn't get automatic promotion with their 90 points. Sunderland, on the other hand, totally fell apart at the end of the season—they lost their last five games and barely scored. But then in the play-off semis, they somehow pulled off a crazy comeback.

Both clubs have super young teams. Sunderland started a lot of games with squads averaging around 23 years old. Chris Rigg is only 16 and has already played a ton, which is kind of nuts. For Sheffield United, losing captain Ollie Arblaster made things tough, but Sydie Peck, who’s 20, stepped up a lot.

One thing that was huge all season was how many cards everyone on both teams got. Gustavo Hamer from Sheffield United led the league in yellow cards—13! Add in both teams’ bad rep at Wembley and that’s the full story going into the final, honestly. I think whoever wins this game changes their season in a big way. Really feels massive as a fan!