Tottenham Hotspur did well to advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League but their European exertions took their toll on their domestic campaign as the Londoners failed to gain a top-four finish.

Spurs were proud to have qualified for the most prestigious club tournament for the first time in their history but they will revert to the Europa League this year.

Still, it was a positive season for the Spurs whose manager Harry Redknapp made the most of the playing resources at his disposal.

Last summer, Redknapp made two excellent signings in Rafael van der Vaart and William Gallas, two experienced players who brought stability to the team.

For a time, it looked as though Tottenham were not going to bring in new players but Redknapp left until the final days of the August transfer window to sign Gallas, on a free, and Van Der Vaart from Real Madrid for a relatively low fee .

Another player who became an ace in the Spurs’ pack as the season progressed was winger Gareth Bale who also produced some astonish-ing performances in the Champions League.

Tottenham, who finished fifth, lost only once at White Hart Lane but dropped 18 points after figuring in nine draws.

If there was a Spurs player who let his side down it was keeper Hue-relho Gomes who made several costly errors.

In the Champions League group stage, Spurs were the underdogs as they were pitted against cup holders Inter besides Werder Bremen and FC Twente.

Yet, they silenced their critics by topping the group with 11 points and a goal tally of 18.

Then, after eliminating Milan in the first KO phase, Tottenham fell to Real Madrid in the last eight.

Sunderland failed to set any bushes on fire but their fans were satisfied that they finished 10th despite selling top striker Darren Bent to Aston Villa in January.

The Black Cats chalked up 10 seasons in the Premier League, the last four in succession. Steve Bruce, at the helm since June 2009, was glad to see Ghana forward Asamoah Gyan fill the void left by Bent.

Gyan finished as the club’s top marksman with 12 goals, 11 of which came in the Premier League.

Before his move to Villa, Bent had netted seven times for Sunderland in the league.

Sunderland had been a force at the Stadium of Light in recent years but last term, they suffered seven defeats at home. Only the two bottom clubs fared worse than the Black Cats at home.

The fans voted Phil Bardsley as Sunderland’s player of the year.

In the cups, Sunderland lost 2-1 at home to West Ham in the third round of the League Cup and to Notts County (1-2) in the same round, also at the Stadium of Light, in the FA Cup.

Apart from their fine run in the Champions League, Tottenham faltered in the domestic KO competitions.

In the League Cup, they went down 4-1 to rivals Arsenal at White Hart Lane and in the FA Cup, they were thrashed 4-0 by Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Premier League results

Sunderland

August − Home vs Birmingham 2-2 (Bent pen, Carr og).
Away vs West Brom 0-1.
Home vs Man. City 1-0 (Bent pen).
September − Away vs Wigan Athletic 1-1 (Gyan).
Home vs Arsenal 1-1 (Bent).
Away vs Liverpool 2-2 (Bent 2, 1 penalty).
October − Home vs Man. United 0-0.
Away vs Blackburn 0-0.
Home vs Aston Villa 1-0 (Dunne og).
Away vs Newcastle 1-5 (Bent).
November − Home vs Stoke 2-0 (Gyan 2).
Away vs Tottenham 1-1 (Gyan).
Away vs Chelsea 3-0 (Onuoha, Gyan, Welbeck).
Home vs Everton 2-2 (Welbeck 2).
Away vs Wolves 2-3 (Bent, Welbeck).
December − Home vs West Ham 1-0 (Henderson).
Away vs Fulham 0-0.
Home vs Bolton 1-0 (Welbeck).
Away vs Manchester United 0-2.
Home vs Blackpool 0-2.
January − Home vs Chelsea 2-4 (Richardson, Gyan).
Away vs Aston Villa 1-0 (Bardsley).
Home vs Bolton 2-0 (Higginbotham, Etherington pen).
Home vs Newcastle 1-1 (Gyan).
Away vs Blackpool 2-1 (Richardson 2).
February − Home vs Chelsea 2-4 (Bardsley, Richardson).
Away vs Stoke 2-3 (Richardson, Gyan).
Home vs Tottenham 1-2 (Gyan).
Away vs Everton 0-2.
March − Away vs Arsenal 0-0.
Home vs Liverpool 0-2.
April − Home vs West Bromwich 2-3 (Shorey og, Bardsley).
Away vs Birmingham 0-2.
Home vs Wigan 4-2 (Gyan, Henderson 2, Sessegnon pen).
Home vs Fulham 0-3.
May − Away vs Bolton 2-1 (Zenden, Knight og).
Home vs Wolves 1-3 (Sessegnon).
Away vs West Ham 3-0 (Zenden, Sessegnon, Riveros).

Tottenham Hotspur

August − Home vs Man. City 0-0.
Away vs Stoke 2-1 (Bale 2).
Home vs Wigan 0-1.
Sept. − Away vs WBA 1-1 (Modric).
Home vs Wolves 3-1 (Van der Vaart pen, Pavlyuchenko, Hutton).
Away vs West Ham 0-1.
October − Home vs Aston Villa 2-1 (Van der Vaart 2).
Away vs Fulham 2-1 (Pavlyuchenko, Huddlestone).
Home vs Newcastle 1-1 (V. Vaart).
Away vs Man. United 0-2.
November − Away vs Bolton 2-4 (Hutton, Pavlyuchenko).
Home vs Sunderland 1-1 (V. Vaart).
Home vs Blackburn 4-2 (Bale 2, Pavlyuchenko, Crouch).
Away vs Arsenal 3-2 (Van der Vaart pen, Bale, Kaboul).
Home vs L’pool 2-1 (Skrtel og, Lennon).
December − Away vs Birmingham 1-1 (Bassong).
Home vs Chelsea 1-1 (Pavlyuchenko).
Away vs Aston Villa 2-1 (V. Vaart 2).
Home vs N’castle 2-0 (Lennon, Bale).
January − Home vs Fulham 1-0 (Bale).
Away vs Everton 1-2 (Van der Vaart).
Home vs Man. United 0-0.
Away vs Newcastle 1-1 (Lennon).
Feb. − Away vs Blackburn 1-0 (Crouch).
Home vs Bolton 2-1 (Van der Vaart pen, Krancjar).
Away vs Sunderland 2-1 (Dawson, Krancjar).
March − Away vs Blackpool 1-3 (Pavyluchenko).
Away vs Wolves 3-3 (Defoe 2, Pavyluchenko).
Home vs West Ham 0-0.
April − Away vs Wigan 0-0.
Home vs Stoke 3-2 (Crouch 2, Modric).
Away vs Arsenal 3-3 (Van der Vaart 2, Huddlestone).
Home vs WBA 2-2 (Pavlyuchenko, Defoe).
Away vs Chelsea 1-2 (Sandro).
May − Home vs Blackpool 1-1 (Defoe).
Away vs Manchester City 0-1.
Away vs Liverpool 2-0 (Van der Vaart, Modric pen).
Home vs B’gham 2-1 (Pavlyuchenko ).