Stoke City manager Tony Pulis had good reason to be cheerful last season as his modest team finished 11th in only their second successive campaign in the Premier League.

Sunderland won their first promotion to the Premier League back in 1996-97. As many clubs before them, the Black Cats initially failed to establish themselves in the elite division.

Having returned in 1999-2000, Sunderland kept their place in the Premiership for four years running but then became a yo-yo side again. Since 2005-06, Sunderland have spent four of their last five seasons in the Premiership, the last three consecutively.

Manager Steve Bruce succeeded in keeping the Black Cats out of the relegation struggle. Sunderland finished 13th, three points adrift of Stoke.

Bruce will start his second season in charge at the Stadium of Light while Stoke boss Pulis is in his second spell at the Britannia Stadium.

In season 2009-10, Sunderland did well against some of the leading clubs, as results below well denote, but they struggled for consistently.

Chairman Niall Quinn made a very shrewd move in luring Bruce to the Stadium of Light. Even Bruce's close-season signings were well received by the fans, particularly striker Darren Bent who finished as Sunderland's top scorer and the club's player of the year.

Glenn Whelan, Clive Whitehead, and Rory Delap, who is renowned for his long and powerful throw-ins, enjoyed a remarkable season in the middle of the park for Stoke. Yet, it was German defender Robert Huth, a £5m-signing from Middlesbrough, who was voted the club's best player last season.

Matthew Etherington was Stoke's leading scorer and Turkish playmaker Tuncay Sanli left the fans on the edge of their seats in games where he showed his best form.

Pulis is one of those managers who prioritises the league over cup competitions and his policy was vindicated as Stoke secured their status early in the season.

Cup scalps

In the FA Cup, Stoke knocked out a youthful Arsenal side, winning 3-1 at the Britannia Stadium in the fourth round. This win gave Pulis the courage to draft more key players into the side and Manchester City were their next victims, beaten 3-1 after a replay. Their downfall came against eventual winners Chelsea 0-2 at Stamford Bridge.

In the League Cup, the Potters lost 0-4 at Portsmouth in the fourth round.

In the League Cup, Sunderland bowed out to Aston Villa in round four at the Stadium of Light in a penalty shoot-out (1-3) after a 0-0 draw.

In the FA Cup, they lost to eventual finalists Portsmouth in the fourth round, 2-1 at Fratton Park.

League prize money

Stoke City (11th) £8,000,000.

Sunderland (13th) £6,400,000.

Premier League results

Stoke City

August − Home vs Burnley 2-0 (Shawcross, Jordan og).

Away vs Liverpool 0-4.

Away vs Birmingham 0-0.

Home vs Sunderland 1-0 (Kitson).

September − Home vs Chelsea 1-2 (Faye).

Away vs Bolton 1-1 (Kitson).

Home vs Manchester United 0-2.

October − Away vs Everton 1-1 (Huth).

Home vs West Ham 2-1 (Beattie 2, 1 pen).

Away vs Tottenham 1-0 (Whelan).

Home vs Wolves 2-2 (Elokobi og, Etherington).

November − Away vs Hull 1-2 (Etherington).

Home vs Portsmouth 1-0 (Fuller).

Away vs Blackburn 0-0.

December − Away vs Arsenal 0-2.

Home vs Wigan 2-2 (Tuncay, Shawcross).

Away vs Aston Villa 0-1.

Away vs Manchester City 0-2.

Home vs Birmingham 0-1.

January − Home vs Fulham 3-2 (Tuncay, Faye, Sidibe).

Home vs Liverpool 1-1 (Huth).

Away vs Sunderland 0-0.

February − Home vs Blackburn 3-0 (Higginbotham, Sidibe, Etherington).

Away vs Wigan 1-1 (Tuncay).

Home vs Manchester City 1-1 (Whelan).

Away vs Portsmouth 2-1 (Huth, Diao).

Home vs Arsenal 1-3 (Pugh).

March − Away vs Burnley 1-1 (Tuncay).

Home vs Aston Villa 0-0.

Home vs Tottenham 1-2 (Etherington pen).

Away vs West Ham 1-0 (Fuller).

April − Home vs Hull 2-0 (Fuller, Lawrence).

Away vs Wolves 0-0.

Home vs Bolton 1-2 (Kitson).

Away vs Chelsea 0-7.

May − Home vs Everton 0-0.

Away vs Fulham 1-0 (Etherington).

Away vs Manchester United 0-4.

Sunderland

August − Away vs Bolton 1-0 (Bent).

Home vs Chelsea 1-3 (Bent).

Home vs Blackburn 2-1 (Jones 2).

Away vs Stoke 0-1.

September − Home vs Hull 4-1 (Bent 2, 1 pen, Reid, Zayatte og).

Away v Burnley 1-3 (Bent).

Home vs Wolves 5-2 (Bent pen, Jones 2, 1 pen, Tainio, Mancienne og).

October − Away vs Manchester United 2-2 (Bent, Jones).

Home vs Liverpool 1-0 (Bent).

Away vs Birmingham 1-2 (Dann og).

Home vs West Ham 2-2 (Reid, Richardson).

November − Away vs Tottenham 0-2.

Home vs Arsenal 1-0 (Bent).

Away vs Wigan 0-1.

December − Away vs Fulham 0-1.

Home vs Portsmouth 1-1 (Bent).

Home vs Aston Villa 0-2.

Away vs Manchester City 3-4 (Mensah, Hendersen, Jones).

Home vs Everton 1-1 (Bent).

Away vs Blackburn 2-2 (Bent 2).

January − Away vs Chelsea 2-7 (Zenden, Bent).

Away vs Everton 0-2.

February − Home vs Stoke 0-0.

Home vs Wigan 1-1 (Jones).

Away vs Portsmouth 1-1 (Bent pen).

Away vs Arsenal 0-2.

Home vs Fulham 0-0.

March − Home vs Bolton 4-0 (Bent 3, 1 pen, Campbell).

Home vs Man. City 1-1 (Jones).

Home vs Birmingham 3-1 (Bent 2, Campbell).

Away vs Aston Villa 1-1 (Campbell).

Away vs Liverpool 0-3.

April − Home vs Tottenham 3-1 (Bent 2, 1 pen, Zenden).

Away vs West Ham 0-1.

Home vs Burnley 2-1 (Campbell, Bent).

Away vs Hull 1-0 (Bent).

May − Home vs Manchester United 0-1.

Away vs Wolves 1-2 (Jones).