The 2010-11 campaign delivered a season of high ambition and eventual consolidation for Sunderland as The Black Cats secured a respectable 10th-place finish in the Premier League. Leading the charge was the exciting club-record signing Asamoah Gyan, whose 10 league goals proved vital in a campaign built on a sensational first half that included an unforgettable 3-0 away demolition of reigning champions Chelsea. It was a year defined by that flash of brilliant form that briefly saw them flirt with European qualification, though a dramatic second-half slump ultimately cost them a higher finish, making it a bittersweet chapter for the Stadium of Light faithful.