Tottenham 2 - 1 Everton
Tottenham moved into the Premier League top four with a hard-fought home victory over a determined Everton.
Everton rallied but could not make their pressure count and they fell two goals behind when Luka Modric curled in a superb, dipping shot.
Everton's Yakubu took advantage of keeper Heurelho Gomes' error to pull a goal back but an equaliser eluded them.
The win lifts Tottenham into the Champions League places at the expense of Manchester City, on goal difference, and strikes a blow to Everton's hopes of making a late top-four push following a period of good form.
The visitors - and American striker Landon Donovan in particular - will be left to rue missed opportunities to get something from the game.
Spurs' unlikely recent hero has been Russian striker Pavlyuchenko, who has come in from the cold and reaped the rewards with four goals in two games prior to this, including two in the FA Cup win over Bolton on Wednesday.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp:
"Overall I thought we played well and we were terrific at times in the first half.
"When you play Everton you know they are not going to give up.
"David (Moyes) obviously got into Everton at half time and they raised their game. At 2-1 we got edgy and we were defending for our lives at times."
Everton manager David Moyes:
"It was a game of two halves. Tottenham were better in the first and we were much better in the second.
"At half time we were dead and buried but I have to give the players credit for making a game of it.
"It (Donovan's miss) was a crucial moment for us and probably a crucial moment for Tottenham as well."
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Liverpool 2 - 1 Blackburn
Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres scored as Liverpool won a bad-tempered contest against Blackburn to move to within one point of fourth spot.
Gerrard put Liverpool ahead with a left-foot shot from six yards before Keith Andrews levelled from the spot after a Jamie Carragher handball.
An unmarked Torres slid home from close range to restore Liverpool's lead.
Gerrard and El-Hadji Diouf exchanged heated words before the break while Pepe Reina denied Chris Samba late on.
There is no love lost between Reds boss Rafa Benitez and Rovers counterpart Sam Allardyce - and little that happened on the pitch is likely to lead to any form of reconciliation.
Steven N'Zonzi should have been sent off after pushing Lucas in the face and there were a series of thunderous challenges during a fully committed contest that saw Benitez repeatedly complain to the fourth official.
It was far from vintage Liverpool and Rovers can consider themselves unfortunate to have left Anfield pointless.
But the Reds will be pleased to have returned to winning ways having failed to score in their previous two games.
Torres, who has been dogged by groin and knee injuries, was back in the starting XI for the first time since 13 January, and understandably not at his fluent best.
But there was an unmistakeable electricity around the ground every time the Spain striker was in possession.
And the fact that he and Gerrard both found the net ended a sequence of six Premier League games during which Dirk Kuyt had been the only Liverpool player to have scored.
The wait goes on for Rovers boss Sam Allardyce to earn his first win as a manager at Anfield, but there was plenty to suggest from his team's performance that they will climb the table during the remaining weeks of the season.
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