Burnley, Leeds return to EPL as Sheffield United prepare for playoff battle

Burnley and Leeds United's return to the Premier League was confirmed Monday with two matches left of the Championship campaign.

The Clarets rubber-stamped their promotion with a 2-1 victory over third-placed Sheffield United. Scott Parker's side has the meanest defense in professional English football - and by some distance - with just 15 goals conceded in 44 outings.

Sheffield United's defeat also put Leeds, who have the strongest attack in England's top four divisions with 89 goals scored, out of reach in the automatic promotion places. Joel Piroe scored four goals as Daniel Farke's Leeds smashed Stoke City 6-0 at Elland Road earlier Monday.

The race for the two promotion places long appeared to be a three-way battle between Leeds (who are top on goal difference), Burnley, and Sheffield United. However, the latter slipped away from contention with four defeats in their last five matches. Before Monday's loss at Burnley, the Blades fell to Oxford United, Millwall, and Plymouth Argyle.

Those surprise defeats have tested the previously strong relationship between Sheffield United supporters and Chris Wilder, who's in charge of his hometown club. "It is a joke, it's a disgrace," Wilder complained about the fans' treatment of his players following the 1-0 defeat at Oxford United, according to BBC Sport's Ian Woodcock.

Sheffield United fans seemed to ironically cheer at least one substitution during the Burnley defeat, as some disagreed with Wilder's team selection at Turf Moor.

The moods at Burnley and Leeds, meanwhile, are wildly different.

Captain Josh Brownhill scored both Burnley goals to earn the win over Sheffield United before jubilant locals invaded the pitch. "We've been written off so many times, people calling us boring," Brownhill told Sky Sports via BBC Sport. "We've bored our way to the Premier League."

Leeds were in the Championship for two seasons. Their promotion marks a much quicker recovery than when they were relegated in 2004 and subsequently spent 16 difficult years in England's second and third tiers.

"Not to put a dampener on it, we've still got another target we want to achieve. So we're going to enjoy tonight and then we're going to try and do the full thing," Leeds' Ethan Ampadu told Sky Sports of the team's ambition to clinch the Championship title over the final two games, according to BBC Sport.