The 2012-13 campaign brought Stoke their best finish in England's top flight since 1975, with head coach Mark Hughes leading the Potters to ninth.

Hughes would have wanted improvement this season and while it has been another ninth-place finish, the points total is greater and it would be fair to say that the club's supporters have welcomed the change in playing style.

This season has brought many ups and downs for the club and with that in mind, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at just how the Potters have performed on a month-by-month basis.

August

In the summer window, the likes of Bojan, Steve Sidwell, Mame Biram Diouf and Victor Moses (loan) arrived at the Britannia, and there was a good feeling around the stadium ahead of their league opener against Aston Villa.

Expectation quickly turned to disappointment, however, as the Potters were beaten 1-0 at home – a result that did not go down well with the supporters.

Stoke did pick up their first point of the season one week later, however, by securing a 1-1 draw at Hull City. Hughes's side also progressed in the League Cup by recording a 3-0 win over League Two side Portsmouth at the Britannia.

The month concluded with Stoke's standout result of the season as Diouf, formerly of Manchester United, netted at the Etihad to secure a 1-0 win over the champions Manchester City.

September

Stoke could not build on the win over Man City, however, and were surprisingly beaten 1-0 at home by Leicester City in their first match after the international break.

The Potters then secured a point in a 2-2 draw at Queens Park Rangers, before continuing their progress in the League Cup with a 2-1 win at Sunderland.

The month ended in a positive fashion as a 1-0 win over Newcastle United surprisingly gave the club their first home league win of the season.

There were certainly some teething problems in the opening couple of months, but the result at Man City showed their ability to match the bigger teams.

October

Stoke's inconsistency continued, however, as they lost away to Sunderland at the start of the month, before beating Swansea City at the Britannia courtesy of a late goal from Jonathan Walters.

Next up was a double-header against Southampton, first in the Premier League. At this point, the Saints were on a roll and secured all three points with a 1-0 win at St Mary's.

The League Cup clash between the two teams took place at the Britannia, but again it was Southampton that came out on top to dump 10-man Stoke out of the competition.

Three defeats from four games in all competitions made it a disappointing month for a club that had top-half ambitions this season.

November

Stoke managed to stop the rot at the start of November, securing a 2-2 draw against West Ham United. However, the result would have frustrated Hughes, with his side throwing away a two-goal lead at home.

Bojan was the star of the show one week later as the Spaniard inspired the Potters to a 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur. However, Stoke's problems continued in their next match as they lost at home to Burnley.

Hughes had success against the so-called bigger teams in the early part of the season and would have fancied his side's chances against an out-of-sorts Liverpool on November 29, but an 85th-minute goal from Glen Johnson secured all the points for the Reds.

December

It did not get any easier for Stoke as they travelled to Manchester United in their opening match of December. The Potters had two glorious chances to level late on, but ultimately suffered a 2-1 defeat – their third loss in a row.

Four days later, however, Stoke returned to winning ways with a 3-2 victory over Arsenal, who launched a strong second-half comeback at the Britannia.

Stoke then took a point from Crystal Palace, but could not stop Chelsea consolidating first position on December 22, with the Blues running out 2-0 winners.

However, the year was to end with back-to-back wins. On Boxing Day, the Potters were 1-0 victors at Everton, before Diouf scored twice in a 2-0 home win over West Bromwich Albion on December 28.

January

Manchester United were the visitors to the Britannia on New Year's Day and Louis van Gaal's side were held to a 1-1 draw by the Potters, who opened the scoring in the second minute courtesy of a Ryan Shawcross effort.

The FA Cup returned on January 4, with Stoke progressing into the fourth round courtesy of a comfortable 3-1 win over Wrexham. At that point, Hughes's side were on a run of four games unbeaten in all competitions - three of which they had won.

Stoke were brought back down to earth in their next league game, however, with Arsenal recording all three points with a 3-0 victory. That said, one week later, an effort from Bojan secured a vital win at Leicester City.

The Potters also booked their spot in the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 4-1 win at Rochdale, but that victory came at a price, with star player Bojan picking up a serious knee problem, which ruled him out for the remainder of the season.

The month did end positively, however, with Walters hitting a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Queens Park Rangers in the league.

February

Stoke's decent league form continued on February 8 when they picked up a point at Newcastle, but back-to-back 4-1 defeats were to follow - one of which arrived in the FA Cup against Blackburn Rovers on February 14. The other came at home to Manchester City in the league, with Manuel Pellegrini's team gaining some revenge from the reverse match earlier in the season.

Stoke's ability to bounce back from disappointment was becoming a welcome trait, however, and they responded to the City defeat with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa, courtesy of a late penalty from Moses, who was also impressing in a wide area.

There was another victory at the end of the month, with Peter Crouch netting the only goal in a 1-0 win over Hull City.

March

A third straight league win arrived at the start of March, with Moses and Diouf both scoring in a 2-0 victory at home to Everton. Next up were winnable games against West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace, but it proved to be a disappointing end to the month.

A 1-0 defeat at West Brom on March 14 was followed by a 2-1 reverse at home to Crystal Palace. That said, Hughes's team ended the month in ninth position and another top-half finish was looking good.

April

A third straight league defeat occurred on April 4 at Chelsea, but the game will be remembered for a stunning Adam effort, with the Scot scoring from inside his own half.

It did appear that the losing run would continue away to West Ham United one week later, but a 95th-minute equaliser from Marko Arnautovic secured a point for the Potters at Upton Park.

A return to winning ways occurred against Southampton on April 18, with Adam again scoring in a 2-1 victory at the Britannia. The month then ended with a 1-1 draw at home to Sunderland.

May

Stoke travelled to Swansea at the start of the month, with the two teams battling West Ham United and Everton around mid-table. Swansea proved too strong on the afternoon, however, and recorded a 2-0 victory to strengthen their grip on eighth.

The Potters returned to winning ways in sensational fashion, however, with Tottenham Hotspur on the end of a 3-0 scoreline on May 9. Hughes would have wanted to build on that victory one week later against already-relegated Burnley, but the two teams played out a goalless draw at Turf Moor.

Stoke's season ended in incredible circumstances, however, with a 6-1 win over Liverpool making it an embarrassing farewell for Steven Gerrard. A return of 54 points from 38 games made it a hugely successful campaign for those involved at the Britannia.