Football!! Burnley return to Premier League

Burnley will return to the Premier League after securing promotion with a 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers on Monday.

For Burnley, the stay in the Championship was a short one, with the Clarets returning to the top flight on their first chance. The win puts Burnley on 90 points with one match to play. Middlesbrough and Brighton & Hove each have 88 but they play against each other in Saturday’s season finale, meaning Burnley can finish now lower than second place. Burnley can win the league with a victory over relegated Charlton Athletic on Saturday. A draw could also secure first place, with Burnley holding a goal-differential advantage of +2 over Middlesbrough and +4 over Brighton & Hove.

Either Middlesbrough or Brighton & Hove will join Burnley by securing one of the two automatic promotion berths, while the other will go into a four-team playoff. Hull City, Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday will also be vying for one place in the Premier League, which has arguably never been more valuable considering the new multi-billion TV deal that kicks in starting next season.