Forest return to Premier League after 23-year wait

Nottingham Forest sealed their return to the Premier League after 23 years away thanks to a 1-0 win against Huddersfield at Wembley with promotion back to the top flight capping a brilliant turnaround to their season, which had started with six defeats in seven.

Levi Colwill’s own goal after 43 minutes was the difference between the sides in the Championship play-off final on Sunday, meaning Forest will play in the top flight for the first time since 1999.

It completes a remarkable season for Forest, who were bottom of the table after eight games when Steve Cooper took over in late September.

𝐖𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐄.

🌳🔴 #NFFC pic.twitter.com/CTLXZjGdZd

— Nottingham Forest FC (@NFFC) May 29, 2022

Huddersfield, meanwhile, see their dream of getting back to the Premier League after three years away come to an end.

Steve Cooper has completely turned the club’s fortunes around after taking over from the sacked Chris Hughton in September.

They were not at their best in their first appearance at Wembley in 30 years but the game’s big moment went in their favour before the break.

The impressive James Garner, on loan from Manchester United, whipped in a dangerous ball from the inside left position and Town defender Colwill could only divert the ball past his goalkeeper Lee Nicholls under pressure from Ryan Yates, who had earlier gone close with a header from another Garner delivery.

Forest’s promotion in their first ever play-off final comes at the end of a season which started disastrously.

The two-time European Cup winners took one point from their first seven games – their worst start to a season in 108 years – and when Hughton was sacked in September it looked like the team was likely to spend the campaign battling against relegation.

However, Cooper, who had taken Swansea to the play-offs in his two seasons in south Wales, quickly turned the ship around and they eventually moved into the top six for the first time this season on 9 February.

There were also impressive home FA Cup wins over Arsenal and local rivals Leicester City before being narrowly beaten by eventual winners Liverpool in the quarter-finals, as the momentum around the team and city grew.