Aston Villa win at Wembley to return to the Premier League

Aston Villa are back in the Premier League. Goals from Anwar El Ghazi and John McGinn gave Dean Smith's side a 2-1 win over Derby County in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on 27 May, ending a three-year absence from the top flight.

Almost 86,000 people watched the final, which has been described as the richest game in football, worth an estimated £170 million to the winners.

How the final was won

Villa, who went into the game as favourites, took the lead late in the first half when El Ghazi headed in. McGinn, named man of the match, doubled the lead after the break. Jack Marriott pulled a goal back for Derby late on, but Villa held on to seal their return to the Premier League.

Among the crowd was Prince William, a well-known Villa supporter. Derby were managed by the former England midfielder Frank Lampard.

From mid-table to Wembley

Villa's promotion caps a remarkable turnaround. Dean Smith, a lifelong Villa fan, was appointed manager in October, with former England captain John Terry as his assistant, after Steve Bruce was sacked with the team 12th in the table.

The team were 13th going into March, but Smith handed the captaincy to Jack Grealish on his return from injury, and the side went on a ten-game winning run, starting with a 4-0 home win over Derby. The run broke a club record that had stood for more than a century and secured a play-off place with two games to spare. Villa finished fifth.

In the semi-final, Villa beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at Villa Park before losing the second leg 1-0 at The Hawthorns. The tie went to penalties, where two saves from goalkeeper Jed Steer allowed Tammy Abraham to score the winning kick.

Second time lucky

The win makes up for heartbreak a year ago, when Villa lost the play-off final 1-0 to Fulham. That defeat was followed by a financial crisis, as the club missed the deadline to pay a £4 million tax bill and faced the threat of a winding-up order. The takeover by Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens last July brought stability and investment.

Back where they belong

Villa were relegated in 2016, ending their long run in the top flight. For a club that has been champions of England seven times and won the European Cup in 1982, three seasons in the Championship have felt like a long time for supporters.

The celebrations are expected to continue in Birmingham over the coming days. But the hard work starts now, as Smith and the owners prepare for the challenge of staying in the Premier League, where the gap in money and quality between the top division and the rest keeps growing.

For Smith, a lifelong supporter of the club he now manages, leading Villa back to the Premier League in his first season in charge is a dream come true.