Sheffield United 2 Tottenham 1:Sheffield United skipper Phil Jagielka thundered home a penalty to lift the Blades 10 points clear of the relegation zone and pile on the away-day agony for Spurs.
Manager Neil Warnock's side produced a superb come-from-behind win after Jermaine Jenas had delightfully lobbed Tottenham in front in the second minute at Bramall Lane.
But striker Rob Hulse first hauled United level 25 minutes later, before Jagielka clinched the points with a match-winning spot-kick just after the hour.
"That's why we're staying up," chanted the Blades fans at the final whistle, and why Spurs are unlikely to return to Europe next season.
Despite away wins in the Uefa Cup this season at Slavia Prague, Besiktas and Bayer Leverkusen — all without conceding a goal — Martin Jol's side have still only won once on their travels in the league.
Yet they started so brightly, with Jenas getting them off to a flier on his return to the side after missing last week's 4-0 defeat to Manchester United with an ankle injury.
It was simply executed and badly defended as a throw from Pascal Chimbonda from just inside his own half was flicked on by captain Robbie Keane for Jenas to lob Paddy Kenny from 16 yards.
Spurs then looked comfortable and they should have doubled their lead in the 10th minute, instigated by Teemu Tainio robbing left-back Chris Armstrong of the ball.
The Finn ran on and played in Keane behind the United defence, but after running wide and from a tight angle, the striker flashed his shot across the face of Republic of Ireland team-mate Kenny's goal.
Hulse had come within a whisker of the equaliser five minutes earlier, heading past Robinson but hitting the underside of the crossbar, before Jenas hacked clear.
Hulse, though, was not to be denied as he eventually equalised 80 seconds later.
In meeting a Kazim-Richards corner at the far post, Hulse outjumped Michael Dawson and Ricardo Rocha — the latter making his Premiership debut.
The ball took a remarkable bounce off the turf inside the six-yard box as it skipped over Robinson's outstretched grasp and another three Spurs players as they tried to clear, before dropping into the net.
The second half may have lacked the entertainment of the first in terms of the quality of football, but it was no less incident-packed.
The combination of Kazim-Richards and Hulse almost proved Spurs undoing again just before the hour, with the striker again clipping the bar with a point-blank header in meeting the winger's corner.
That served to lift United again as they pushed Spurs back, and in the 61st minute a poor Tainio challenge on Quinn on the edge of the area led to referee Martin Atkinson pointing to the spot.
Jagielka made no mistake as he blasted the ball past Robinson.
Further cautions followed for Chimbonda, Jenas, Tonge, Keane and Jermain Defoe, the latter two minutes after his arrival as a sub and for his involvement in a tussle with Montgomery, who was also booked.
Jol ended the match with four strikers on the pitch as he also brought on Mido, but despite such strength in attack, Spurs failed to create a single chance in the closing 20 minutes to cue United celebrations.
