The match was to determine the third and final team to gain promotion from the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football, to the FA Premier League.

Fulham had been relegated to the Championship the previous season while Brentford had not played at the highest level of English league football for 73 years.

The 2020 final was played behind closed doors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom which had delayed the conclusion of the regular league season by more than three months.

Henrik Dalsgaard scored an injury-time consolation goal for Brentford as the match ended 2–1 to Fulham, seeing them return to the Premier League on their first attempt.

Tom Cairney hit the post for the visitors in an even but goalless first half, but Josh Onomah put them ahead four minutes into the second, beating three defenders before striking the ball past Alex Smithies in the Cardiff goal.

The remainder of the match was dominated by Fulham who doubled their lead in injury time with Neeskens Kebano scoring directly from a free kick.

Curtis Nelson put the Welsh side ahead with a headed goal after eight minutes but Kebano equalised 24 seconds later, converting a cross from Bobby Decordova-Reid from 12 yards (11 m).

Ollie Watkins levelled the tie after eleven minutes with his 26th goal of the season, and Emiliano Marcondes scored with a header to put Brentford 2–1 ahead on aggregate.

[13][14] Fulham lost both West London derbies played between the clubs during the regular season, suffering a 1–0 defeat at Griffin Park in December 2019, and losing 2–0 at Craven Cottage the following June.

[13] Brentford made just one change to the starting eleven which beat Swansea in the second leg of the play-off semi-final, with Josh Dasilva replacing Marcondes in midfield, the latter being named as a substitute.

[13] Denis Odoi and Aboubakar Kamara came in for Cyrus Christie and Anthony Knockaert in Fulham's starting line-up, and Mitrović was selected on the bench.

On seven minutes, Michael Hector fouled Saïd Benrahma on the edge of the Fulham penalty area, but the resulting free kick was eventually gathered by Marek Rodák.

Midway through the second half, a long ball from Fulham's Jensen was headed behind by Odoi, and Ethan Pinnock's header from the ensuing corner was cleared behind by Joe Bryan.

In the 70th minute, Watkins received a pass from Jensen and struck a shot from the edge of the box toward the top corner which was tipped over by Rodák.

During the half-time period, Halil Dervişoğlu and Tariqe Fosu came on for Brentford, replacing Jensen and Henry, while Fulham's Ivan Cavaleiro was brought on in place of Kamara.

With nine minutes of the second half remaining, further substitutions were made: Fulham's Christie and Maxime Le Marchand coming on to replace Onomah and Odoi.

A foul by Fulham's Christie resulted in a Benrahma free kick which struck the defensive wall, followed by Nørgaard's cross being smothered by Rodák.

"[25] The Fulham manager Scott Parker reflected upon his time at the club having been appointed midway through their previous season which had ended in relegation from the Premier League: "We've done what we've done tonight, but there's still improvement, and that's what makes me so proud and happy.