A late Peter Crouch header earned Tottenham a 1-0 victory over Man City at Eastlands and booked a place in the Champions League.
Spurs planning for Barcelona and Milan after silencing Eastlands
A late Peter Crouch header earned Tottenham a 1-0 victory over Manchester City at Eastlands and won the battle to rub shoulders with the elite in the UEFA Champions League.
The Premier League meeting had been billed as a cup final, with fourth-placed Spurs travelling to the North West aware that three points would guarantee a golden ticket to the qualifying rounds of next season's European Cup.
Likewise, Roberto Mancini's City knew success in front of their home fans would have put their future in their own hands ahead of Sunday's trip to West Ham and would have given the Italian greater assurance in his job.
But in truth the thought of the Champions League, which brings in excess of £50million and significant player-pulling power in the transfer market, got to both sides on a nail-biting night in Manchester.
It was Harry Redknapp's Spurs, though, who delivered a resolute and committed team performance throughout and held their nerve as Crouch headed past Marton Fulop in the 82nd minute to deservedly book a long-overdue return to the continent's top table.
For City, the England striker's late goal was a hammer blow as millions of pounds of investment last summer failed to produce Champions League football and left Mancini's future far from clear.
It was just reward for an incredible season for Harry Redknapp and his men, who may yet pip old rivals Arsenal, who sit thrid, to a place in the main draw.
At the very least they will be in the final qualifier, with a route to riches clearly mapped out.
Money
For City, the world's richest club, their failed attempt may just be a brief delay on an inexorable rise through the game.
But in a season that promised so much and will end with only a Europa League place for comfort, it was further proof for chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak and owner Sheikh Mansour that money alone cannot build a successful football team.
With so much riding on the encounter, so astutely placed at such a delicate stage of the season, it hardly needed the added spice of a potential legal battle over Redknapp's complaints about City's conduct in their pursuit of Craig Bellamy.
The lawyers will almost certainly not be called upon to intervene but both sides knew that Liverpool's collapse had left the path marked Champions League wide open for them.
Mathematics were hardly required. Tottenham, a point in front at kick-off, are due to visit Burnley on the last day, so barring some unexpected heroics from Brian Laws' relegation fodder, City knew they needed a win.
Their desire was evident from the start, with Carlos Tevez leading the way.
Apparently so unhappy with life under Mancini, the Argentina star still did his best to ensure the top-four berth he is said to have made the requirement for his stay at Eastlands to be extended beyond the summer.
Yet in Heurelho Gomes, Tottenham had their own South American desperate to secure their top-four status.
When Gomes, who shrugged off pre-match injury concerns along with excellent skipper Ledley King, denied Tevez in the opening minutes with a feet-first save, it was the first of three excellent stops before the interval had been reached.
The second was the best, flinging himself to his left to keep out a fizzing 20-yard strike from Adam Johnson that was heading for the bottom corner.
Gomes also had to be on his toes to keep the ball out
