Middlesbrough returns to Premier League after winning automatic promotion

Middlesbrough is on its way back to the Premier League after walking away from the richest match in football on Saturday with a 1-1 draw, subsequently finishing above Brighton & Hove Albion and winning automatic promotion.

Back in the English top flight for the first time in seven years, Middlesbrough is expected to pocket £170 million by virtue of earning automatic promotion.

Related - Watch: Middlesbrough fans invade pitch after promotion to Premier League

The match featured the excitement of a final at Wembley Stadium as those at Riverside Stadium witnessed a heated contest between two teams desperate to avoid the promotion play-offs.

The home support was sent into a frenzy first when a clever set-piece saw a pass into the penalty area fall to Cristhian Stuani for a close-range tap-in.

Excitement around the stadium, however, was temporarily extinguished 10 minutes into the second frame when Dale Stephens got on the end of a cross into the box to bring Brighton level and restore the visitor's hopes of playing top flight football for the first time in over 30 years.

Those hopes all but vanished five minutes later when Stephens' reckless challenge on Gaston Ramirez resulted in a straight red card for the Brighton midfielder.

Ramirez sustained a nasty gash on his shin as a result of the injury and left the pitch on a stretcher with the aide of an oxygen mask.

Related - Watch: Brighton's Stephens sent off minutes after scoring equaliser

Brighton eventually saw its chances of winning automatic promotion come to an end after the final whistle blew following eight minutes of added time, as Middlesbrough fans stormed the pitch to celebrate their team's return to the Premier League for the first time since 2009 after getting the necessary result in a match dubbed as the richest in football.

Brighton will now look ahead to the first round of Championship play-offs, where it will take on Sheffield Wednesday, while Hull City and Derby County battle in the other round of fixtures.