Tottenham Hotspur went into their encounter with Sunderland knowing that only three points would do as they attempted to achieve a place in next season's Champions League.
A late Gareth Bale strike was enough to give Spurs the victory, but the news wasn't so great from St James' Park.
Spurs needed Arsenal to lose at Newcastle United, but a Laurent Koscielny volley handed the Gunners a vital win.
Read below to see how the action unfolded in North London.
Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's coverage of the match between Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland.
Well we should have a cracker for you at White Hart Lane this afternoon. Spurs know that they need to win this match if they are to have any hope of overtaking Arsenal for a Champions League place.
It will be interesting to see how the home side line up this afternoon. They usually opt for just one striker in attack, but maybe the circumstances will lead manager Andre Villas-Boas to partner Jermain Defoe with Emmanuel Adebayor. Team news is expected in the next few minutes.
As for Sunderland, they are now safe from relegation, which will come as a mighty relief to their manager Paolo Di Canio. However, I'm sure that he will be eager for the Black Cats to put on a performance this afternoon.
The team news is in, and Villas-Boas has decided to go with Adebayor. Full teams to follow...
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR XI: Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Vertonghen; Parker, Huddlestone, Lennon, Bale, Dempsey; Adebayor
SUNDERLAND XI: Mignolet; Larsson, O'Shea, Cuellar, Vaughan; N'Diaye, Colback, McClean, Johnson; Graham, Wickham
TOTTENHAM SUBS: Friedel, Caulker, Naughton, Dembele, Holtby, Sigurdsson, Defoe
SUNDERLAND SUBS: Westwood, Marrs, Mandron, Knott, Ferguson, Harrison, Mitchell
So there you have it. Spurs are pretty much as you would expect, but Sunderland make two changes, bringing in Connor Wickham and David Vaughan.
While the Spurs faithful will be focused on cheering on their side, they will also have an eye on what is going on at St James' Park, but midfielder Clint Dempsey believes that his team should be concentrating on their own job, rather than the scoreline at Newcastle.
If any of the Sunderland players were thinking that they could treat this game with a little less intensity than normal, they will have to think again. Manager Paolo Di Canio has threatened to cut-short their summer break if they don't perform this afternoon!
Sunderland haven't fared well against Spurs in recent years. In 11 years playing in the Premier League, they are won just four points at White Hart Lane, while they have won just one out of their last eight matches against the North London club.
Whether they qualify for the Champions League or not this afternoon, Spurs will record their highest ever points total in the Premier League with a win, but I'm sure that won't be much consolation if they finish in fifth position.
We are just 20 minutes away from kickoff at White Hart Lane.
Sunderland will no doubt be focusing a lot of their attention on trying to stop Gareth Bale, but Spurs won their first match since January 1 without a goal from the Welshman against Stoke City last weekend, so they will have to concentrate on more than just the 23-year-old.
Sunderland defender Phil Bardsley is missing for the Black Cats this afternoon, with the reason reportedly being that he was pictured laying in a pile of £50 notes in a casino! I imagine he has been given a few notes back after Paolo Di Canio had talked to him.
If you are a Spurs fan reading our coverage this afternoon, don't forget you can follow Arsenal's match with Newcastle United too. There is sure to be some twists and turns from both matches.
We are now just minutes away from the players making their way down the tunnel. There will surely be a few nerves in the Spurs dressing room, but it would be a surprise if they didn't begin the match on the front foot.
It goes without saying that if there are any developments at St James' Park, we will bring you the information here.
The teams are now out on the pitch at White Hart Lane. It has just been confirmed that Bardsley has been dropped for his antics earlier this week. It's fortunate for Sunderland that they are safe!
And we are underway!
It has been a positive start from the home side, who immediately force Sunderland back down the left-hand side. However, Black Cats stopper Simon Mignolet is alert to clear the danger.
Sunderland are playing two men in attack today. How often can we say that about away sides? They haven't had much of a look-in so far though. Up the other end, Adebayor gets in down the right, but his shot is palmed away by Mignolet.
A few very optimistic appeals from the Spurs players for a penalty after Adebayor went to ground, but there was nothing in it. Sunderland are sitting very deep in their own half.
There has been an early goal in the game at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Everton, with Juan Mata giving the home side the lead. Spurs can still technically catch the Blues but they would need to win about 14-0!
It's all pretty neat from Spurs at the moment, but they aren't making much inroads. That said, they haven't given Sunderland much of the ball either.
Spurs have had 77% of the possession so far, but they have only made the one attempt on goal. That sums up the match so far quite nicely!
That was better from the home side. A quick counter-attack results in Adebayor collecting the ball down the left, but his cross narrowly misses Gareth Bale at the back post.
DIVE! Well that is rather harsh! Gareth Bale advanced into the penalty area and was hauled down by the defender...but the referee has given him a yellow card for simulation!
That has livened the crowd up. It was a really poor decision by the referee, but I suspect Bale's reputation from earlier in the season went against him there.
Tom Huddlestone gets a half-volley on target, but it is comfortably held by the goalkeeper. It is also goalless at St James' Park.
Apart from the controversy over his apparent simulation, Bale has been fairly quiet in the first 30 minutes. It doesn't get much better for him as his corner fails to beat the first man.
CHANCE! Sunderland break down the right through Danny Graham, and his cross to the near post finds Connor Wickham, but he is superbly denied by Hugo Lloris.
That was a bit of a wake-up call for Spurs. They have dominated possession, but they will need to ensure that they keep it tight at the back.
You would have expected Gareth Bale to do better there. Lennon did fantastic down the left before pulling the ball back to the Welshman, but he scuffs his shot against the defender.
BOOKING! James McClean has gone into the book after a late challenge on Tom Huddlestone. Bale is ready to step-up and take the set piece...
SAVE! The free-kick appeared a weak one, but it still forced Mignolet to palm the ball away.
Tottenham are beginning to push forward now as we near the interval, and Mignolet is required to claw away a cross with threatened to find a couple of players at the back post.
We will have two minutes of added-on time at White Hart Lane.
HALF-TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Sunderland
That wasn't the most entertaining 45 minutes of football, but Spurs looked to be improving as the half wore on. They will know that they will need to push forward after the break if they are going to break this resolute Sunderland defence down.
The main talking point of the half came when Bale was booked for hitting the deck too easily from the attention of a Sunderland defender. There have been occasions this season where he has been guilty of diving, but this wasn't one of them.
If you haven't done so already, why not vote for your team of the season while we wait for the players to return. The results will be revealed on Wednesday.
Andre Villas-Boas has plenty of options on the bench if he feels the need to make an alteration. Introducing Jermain Defoe would be the obvious choice, but he could also opt to play Lewis Holtby or Gylfi Sigurdsson.
The players are slowly making their way back out. There were a few jeers at half-time, so it will be interesting to see how long it takes for the supporters to get increasingly restless.
We are back underway, with what appears to be a synchronised restart with the match at St James' Park.
CHANCE! A cross from Assou-Ekotto just evades the onrushing Clint Dempsey. Aaron Lennon then collects the ball 25 yards out, before dragging his shot wide.
CHANCE! Sunderland go straight up the other end, and Hugo Lloris is forced into a fine sprawling save from Danny Graham. Spurs then have an appeal for handball in the penalty area turned down by the referee.
There has been a goal at St James' Park, and it isn't good news for Spurs. Arsenal have taken the lead through Laurent Koscielny.
That goal from the Gunners are quietened down the crowd at White Hart Lane, but it doesn't change the fact that Spurs need to win this game. They go close to taking the lead when Huddlestone fires over from close range.
Going back to the penalty appeal, it should be noted that Tottenham haven't been awarded one all season. It doesn't look like that is going to change this afternoon if the first two appeals are anything to by!
Spurs are pushing men forward, but that is leaving plenty of gaps at the back. Alfred N'Diaye does well down the right, before the ball ends up with Adam Johnson, but he blazes his shot over the bar.
CHANCE! That was unbelievable. Colback does well to block an effort from Scott Parker, before he then deflects a second shot onto the inside of the post!
SUBSTITUTION! Villas-Boas makes his first change, bringing on Moussa Dembele for Scott Parker.
Spurs are doing everything but find the back of the net. Adebayor glances a header off target, which prompts a quizzical glance from Villas-Boas.
That's weird. The Spurs fans have just began making plenty of noise, suggesting that Newcastle may have scored, but I'm afraid they are wrong!
For a team that have secured their Premier League status, the Sunderland players are making some effort to keep a clean sheet! A couple of blocks deny the home side, before Gareth Bale and Kyle Walker are both prevented from netting by Mignolet.
SUBSTITUTION! Jermain Defoe is on for Clint Dempsey, while Sunderland make a double change, bringing on Billy Knott and Mikael Mandron.
RED CARD! David Vaughan has been dismissed for a mis-timed challenge on Aaron Lennon, which resulted in him being handed his second yellow card.
You sense that frustration is beginning to creep in a little now for Spurs. They are being less intricate around the box, taking a more direct approach to their shots on goal, but it isn't having the desired effect.
There is less than 10 minutes on the clock. Can Tottenham sneak a late winner, or will Sunderland hold on for what would be a deserved point?
SUBSTITUTION! Spurs make their final change of the afternoon, bringing on Gylfi Sigurdsson in place of Benoit Assou-Ekotto.
Spurs have lost a bit of the zip that they had early on in this half, and Sunderland are looking increasingly comfortable. It is still 1-0 to Arsenal at St James' Park.
GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Sunderland (Bale)
What a goal, and from who else but Gareth Bale! He picked up the ball 30 yards out before unleashing an unstoppable effort into the top corner of the net. As it stands, it won't make any difference to his side's fate, but it was a fantastic goal.
There will be four minutes of added-on time.
Spurs are playing keep-ball now. 30 seconds to go.
FULL-TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Sunderland
Tottenham have won this match, but I am afraid that it isn't enough for them to qualify for the Champions League, with Arsenal winning 1-0 at Newcastle United.
Spurs will look back to dropped points earlier in the season, but the table never lies, and credit has to go to Arsenal for managing to hang on to fourth position.
The winning goal from Gareth Bale was of the quality that deserved to earn his side a top four place, but it wasn't to be. His future at the club has to be in doubt now, with teams surely lining up to take advantage of the fact that Spurs will be competing in the Europa League.
It will be interesting to hear the views of Andre Villas-Boas in the post-match press conference. He will be disappointed that his team didn't achieve Champions League football, but Spurs have enjoyed their biggest points haul in the Premier League.
It appears as though the Spurs players believed that they had done enough to overtake Arsenal...reaction from Michael Dawson to follow.
Dawson told Sky Sports News: "At one point, I heard our fans cheering, and I thought that Newcastle had done us a favour, and then Gareth pulled out another world class goal, and I am on my knees, but then I heard that it hadn't happened. It's a hard day to take."
A quick word on Sunderland. They were unlucky this afternoon, because they applied themselves admirably. It was the type of game, where you wouldn't have been surprised to see them lose three or four nil, but in the end, they were unfortunate to lose by one.
Well, that's your lot for the Premier League for three months. With no World Cup or European Championships, it will feel a long mid-season break, but hopefully the players of all 20 teams will return in August feeling refreshed.
Thank you for following today's action with Sports Mole. Goodbye for now.
Written by
Darren Plant
Darren Plant
