After 45 of 46 matchweeks had been completed in the EFL Championship, it was clear that there would be no promotion drama on the final day of the season.
Norwich secured automatic promotion in mid-April, and Watford did the same a week later. On May 1, the Canaries sealed the league title in a division they had thoroughly controlled this campaign.
The top six had already been decided as well, as Reading played itself out of playoff contention with just one victory in its final 11 matches — meaning that Brentford, Swansea, Barnsley and Bournemouth will fight it out for the final promotion spot.
At the other end of the table though, the struggle against relegation was reaching its climax.
Wycombe, despite its recent improvement, was already demoted to the third tier, but there were still three clubs desperately attempting to cling to the one remaining spot in the league.
The table heading into the final day #EFL | #SkyBetChampionship pic.twitter.com/UHgHES9C3T
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) May 8, 2021
In 22nd place was Sheffield Wednesday, which was handed a six-point deduction for breaking Football League spending rules. The original deduction of 12 points was halved back in November, giving Wednesday a fighting chance in the league.
Just one point above the Owls was Rotherham, a club that had shuffled between League One and the Championship in each of the last four seasons. The Millers had hovered just above the bottom three for much of the year, but accrued only eight points from their previous 16 matches as they headed into the final weekend.
On the right side of the relegation line was Derby County, which, despite its own financial difficulties, had avoided punishment. This season brought unexpected struggles for a Derby side that reached the Championship Playoff Final in 2018-19 and had not been relegated to the third tier since the 1980's.
To stay in the division, Rotherham needed to defeat Cardiff City and hope that Derby could only lose or draw its final match.
Fittingly, the Rams of Derby were pitted against Sheffield Wednesday in a classic relegation six-pointer. It was a match in which both clubs knew that at least one of them would not be in the division anymore come the full-time whistle.
A Wednesday win combined with a Rotherham loss/draw was the only way the Owls could stay in the Championship, while Derby controlled its own destiny, needing: a) a win, or b) Rotherham to not win against Cardiff, in order to ensure its safety.
With all matches being played simultaneously on Saturday, it was one eye on the pitch, one eye on the scoreboard for all three clubs.
Under the leadership of manager Paul Warne, who has been at the Rotherham helm for all of its promotion and relegation drama in recent years, the Millers took a surprise lead against eighth-place Cardiff with just eight minutes gone thanks to Lewis Wing's fabulous strike from the edge of the penalty area.
The English center midfielder used great technique to hit a dipping volley that had the Cardiff keeper well-beaten at the near post.
Safety was in sight for Rotherham, as the tense match in Derbyshire was still scoreless as halftime approached, but Sheffield Wednesday found the opening goal in the fourth minute of first half stoppage-time.
Derby was unable to clear a long throw from Wednesday, and after Derby keeper Kelle Roos parried the initial effort, Sam Hutchinson poked home the rebound from close range to give the visitors the advantage.
If the halftime scorelines held, Rotherham would stay in the division. The Millers' security was short-lived though, as Derby opened the second half like a side that realized the consequences of a poor result.
A deft flicked header by Martyn Waghorn followed by a lovely curling shot from Patrick Roberts gave Derby a 2-1 advantage over Wednesday inside the opening 10 minutes of the second period.
Rotherham continued to hold a slender advantage in Wales, but the goals kept on coming at Derby's Pride Park.
Wednesday twice punished poor defending at the back by Derby, creating a pair of close range goals out of seemingly nothing — giving the Owls a 3-2 lead with 20 minutes of normal time remaining. Yet Rotheram's lead still meant that Derby and Wednesday would be relegated.
But this the EFL Championship; as long as there is still time on the clock, then drama is almost ensured.
At this point it is important to note that the game in Derbyshire was 10 minutes behind the rest of the Championship matches thanks to a considerable amount of first-half stoppage time.
With Derby trailing in the 77th minute, a Rams counter-attack saw Martyn Waghorn thread through Derby winger Kamil Jóźwiak. The Pole received the ball in stride and was almost immediately tripped up from behind by Wednesday defender Chey Dunkley inside the Owls' penalty area. Mike Dean blew his whistle and Derby was given a chance to equalize from 12 yards.
As Waghorn stepped up to the penalty spot, word came in that Cardiff had equalized in the 88th minute against Rotherham, as midfielder Marlon Pack's effort from the edge of the 18-yard area caught Barnsley keeper Jamal Blackman out of position.
Even if Waghorn converted, Derby would be safe if Rotherham did not score in the final minutes of the season. But the Derby attacker capped off his man-of-the-match performance with a perfectly executed spot kick.
His second goal of the match to go with an earlier assist meant that Waghorn, who somehow avoided serious injury after slamming his head into the post early in the match, was directly involved in all three goals.
With equalizers for both Cardiff and Derby, Rotherham and Wednesday needed just one goal in the closing moments of the campaign to ensure their Championship safety.
Derby defended bravely while Sheffield and Rotherham both threw numbers forward with reckless abandon. Rotherham could not find a second goal, and the draw meant another relegation to League One — the third in five seasons for the Millers.
News of the result reached Pride Park, and Wednesday realized that it had 10 minutes to save its season. More suspect defending from Derby provided encouragement for the Owls, but after six minutes of stoppage time had passed, Mike Dean blew the whistle with the scoreboard reading 3-3.
Derby County had weathered an 11-match winless stretch early in the season, as well as six straight defeats heading into the final weekend, and, in the end, manager Wayne Rooney had done just enough to guide his side to safety while condemning Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham to League One.
With the struggles of a young squad, the financial difficulties, plus all the drama surrounding the possible sale of the club, staying in the league meant the world to both the Derby County players and the fans who had to endure so much this season even before the added adversity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the relegated clubs, Rotherham will feel confident about its promotion chances, as it has immediately returned to the Championship after both of its recent relegations from the division
As for Sheffield Wednesday, fans will feel hard done by the point deduction, as it punished the players and fans — neither of whom are involved in the financial side of the club. Without the deduction, the Owls would have finished 21st, three points above the relegation zone.
With the relegation race settled, it is now time to look ahead to the promotion playoffs, which never seem to disappoint.
